


Green Eyed Monster

by notthatserious16



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Code 307, College AU, Drunk Clarke, F/F, F/M, Fine Stud Lexa, Lexa is a badass, Rugby, They both play rugby, clarke is a feminist and doesn't let anyone talk down to her, clarke is also a bad ass, clarkes bobbies, everyone is a bad ass, it's lit fam, lots of feeling and other emo shit, lots of parties too, together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-31
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-11 09:24:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 39,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7042375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notthatserious16/pseuds/notthatserious16
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Freshmen Clarke and Octavia somehow got roped into joining their college's rugby team. Clarke, who is attempting to adjust to life in college is eager to find a sense of community and is able to find it in the team. To her surprise, almost everyone is a little gay! What more would you expect from a women's rugby team? She seeks validation from the team's over-powering captain, whose tough exterior, Australian roots, and intense love for rugby have Clarke mesmerized. She is completely unaware of all of the shenanigans that occur during a rugby season.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to the Machine

The summer before Clarke’s first semester of college was a blur. Three months of preparation for the most important four years of her life was enough to drive anyone a tad crazy, especially for a prospective pre-med student. Her mother, Abby, did not do too much to ease her daughter’s worries, as Clarke felt suffocated by her throughout the entire summer. Clarke was an only child so she could understand her mother’s attachment issues, but something had to give.  The only chances that she had to escape were when she was working out or when she was at her useless summer job of scooping ice cream for whining children and bratty teenagers. Clarke was ready to escape her current life and start her first semester at Arkadia University.

On a hot and sticky morning at the end of August, Clarke awoke to her mother busting into her room, reminding her that, “today was in fact the day.” Clarke sighed and rubbed her burning eyes, as she shifted onto her right side and glared at her mother. Her mother clearly did not know that Clarke had been lying awake all night, thinking about how nervous she was to start college. She was going to be in a completely new place where she knew nobody. She was going to be challenged academically in ways that her shoddy public school was never able to do. There were so many unknowns that had built over the summer and they were slowly becoming a reality.

Clarke slowly inched towards the bathroom and tousled her blonde curls as she looked in the hallway mirror.

“You can do this, Griffin” she said to herself. Clarke had an extremely confident and strong character. Friends and family would always marvel at her ability to rise up through every situation. People who did not know her mistook her blonde hair for some sort of weakness, however Clarke was quick to prove them wrong by either out lifting them or by blowing them away with her extensive knowledge of the human body. She rarely cowered and rarely backed down from a challenge. However, college was different. Clarke usually found her strength in the presence of family in friends. In college, she was going to know nobody.

She moseyed down the stairs to find her bright eyed mother sitting at their small, two person table with an enormous breakfast spread. She did not have the heart to tell her mother that she was not hungry, so she sat down and stomached 2 pancakes, some scrambled eggs, and a handful of strawberries.

Abby looked at her daughter and said, “I am so proud of you Clarke,” She smiled and realized that realized that her mother was starting to cry, “And your father would be proud too. So immensely proud.”

Her mother’s words caused Clarke’s chest tighten and her eyes to tear.  Her increased stress and lack of sleep resulted in the words making her more emotional than she otherwise would have been. Her father had passed away almost 4 years ago and even though she thought about him every day, she rarely let her emotions get the best of her. Abby got out of her chair and hugged her daughter tightly, rubbing her back.

Abby broke the silence by saying in a shaky voice, “If we want to get there before 12, we should get going.”

The car was already packed so Clarke ran up to her room, dried her eyes, and gave her room a once over to make sure that she had not forgotten anything important. She scanned her room, looking at all of the pictures and posters that covered her walls. Nostalgia hit her as she glanced down at a picture of her and her father, standing next to the Arkadia University sign. Her father, Jake was smiling brightly as he looked up at a five year old Clarke, who was sitting on his shoulders with a face-eating grin. She shoved some last minute trinkets into her backpack, most notably the picture of her and her father. She ran down the stairs to find her mom expectantly waiting by the door.

“Are you ready?!” she said with excitement.

Arkadia University was approximately five hours from Clarke’s hometown. She grew up in a small, plain, suburban town, filled with cookie cutter houses, snobby housewives and a lack of diversity. While the university was in the middle of nowhere, Arkadia prided itself on its diversity and sense of community, which was what ultimately drew Clarke to the university. That, the competitive pre-med program, and the fact that her parents had met at Arkadia, were other deciding factors. Clarke and her mother slowly backed out of the driveway and as they drove away, Clarke sadly said goodbye to her childhood home.

The drive was uneventful, mostly filled with her mom talking about how excited she was for Clarke as well as telling stories about her time at the university. As they pulled up the gates of Arkadia, a large, stone sign that read “Arkadia University” welcomed them. Clarke smiled and felt her spirits rise as she thought of the picture of her and her father. The large, green, willow trees and gothic, yet modern infrastructure surrounded the car. Clarke was so excited to explore the beautiful campus. She knew that this is where she was meant to be. It was, after all, a place that she was familiar with and a place where she had a slew of good memories. The campus was filled with young people and their parents, who were all moving about in a very anxious and fretful manner. Clarke was almost certain that she saw a boy crying in his mother’s arms. They drove up to Clarke’s dorm building, which was a large, ivy covered, brick structure, and started to unpack the car. Two young girls who were wearing neon shirts that read, “Arkadia Move-In Day 2016,” greeted them, and after inquiring Clarke’s name, they ruffled through some paperwork and pulled out a room key. The one girl, who introduced herself as Raven, a sophomore in the engineering program, told Clarke and Abby to follow her into the building.

“I’m pretty sure that your roommate is already here,” Raven said to Clarke. “I think I remember showing someone to this room earlier this morning.” Clarke instantly seized up, thinking about how nervous she was to meet her roommate, Octavia. Throughout the summer, they sent a few friendly e-mails back and forth, discussing logistics such as their majors, sleeping habits, and who was bringing the microwave. While Octavia never sent a picture of herself to Clarke, Clarke had done a fair amount of internet stalking, realizing that Octavia was absolutely gorgeous. Clarke wondered if she had done the same.  

“Here we are,” said Raven. “Room 307.” She handed Clarke the key and Clarke slowly opened the door to her dorm room. She walked into the room and was instantly greeted by someone hugging her.

Clarke was totally thrown off by the quick embrace and started to step back when she heard, “You must be Clarke! I’m Octavia! It is so nice to finally meet you.” Clarke looked at Octavia, realizing that her pictures online did her zero justice, and stammered, “H-h-hi. It’s great to m-meet you.”

Octavia, realizing that her roommate was uncomfortable said, “I am sorry if my hug startled you. I have been so excited to meet you and get to know you. Plus, my parents and brother left a few hours ago and I’ve been feeling pretty lonely.” At this point, Abby and Raven stepped into the room with some of Clarke’s belongings. Abby introduced herself to Octavia and the group began talking about where they were from and about life at Arkadia. This gave Clarke a chance to slip away from the conversation and take in her room. It was an average dorm room. Either side was lined with a bed and two wooden end tables between them. The other side of the room had two desks and two dressers lined back to back. Octavia already started to decorate her side of the room with pictures of her friends and family as well as posters of her favorite music artists. Clarke was delighted to see that Octavia was also a fan of Kanye West. Then, Clarke looked over at Octavia, who was in deep conversation with Abby. Octavia, like Clarke, was in great shape, possibly in even better shape than Clarke. She was wearing a grey athletic tee that said “Property of Arkadia University” and athletic leggings that hugged her strong, toned legs.

Clarke had not even realized that her mom and Raven had left when she heard, “You good, Clarke?”  Octavia was looking at her with expectant eyes and Clarke quickly replied, “Oh yeah. I’m good. Just trying to take everything in.” Octavia nodded. Clarke added, “I’m going to go help my mom with the rest of my stuff.” Octavia perked up and asked if she could help, and with Clarke being in no place to deny assistance, welcomed Octavia to come along.

As Clarke exited the building, she saw who she believed was the most beautiful human being in the world. The girl, with thick, braided, brown hair was standing next to Raven. She held a very dominant stance and it almost looked as if she was giving Raven orders. Clarke saw Raven nod a few times and she must have seen Clarke staring at her because within seconds, she saw Raven wave at her. The girl next to Raven turned around quickly, glared at Clarke with piercing green eyes and turned back to Raven. Raven’s face fell as the girl continued to lecture her.

Clarke quickly snapped out of her trance and found her mother by the car. Between Clarke and Octavia, they were able to carry the rest of Clarke’s belongings into the room. Clarke ran outside one last time to say goodbye to her mother, something that she had been internally dreading the entire summer.

Abby brought Clarke into a hug and said, “Remember everything I taught you. You’re a smart girl, Clarke and you’re going to be great. These are the best four years of your life. Take advantage of every single moment and opportunity.”

Clarke hugged her mother tightly and with tears streaming down her face, she said, “I love you mom. Thank you for everything. I am going to miss you so much.”

“I love you too sweetie,” her mom replied. Abby broke the hug, and started towards the car. As she climbed in and started to drive away, Clarke stood there in an almost helpless state. She knew that she was going to be fine without her mother, but saying goodbye like this was just so incredibly hard. She felt a hand slip over her shoulder. Looking to her right, she realized it was Octavia.

“This is the hardest part,” said Octavia. “I promise that it gets easier from here on out. C’mon, let’s go pimp out our room,” she said with a smile. Clarke was grateful for her roommate’s positivity and she did not know what she’d do without her.

A few days passed and Octavia and Clarke had already become fast friends. They endured all of the boring orientation programs that the school set up for freshman and had a chance to meet some of the other people in their majors. Clarke learned that Octavia was studying environmental science. They had a great time decorating their sides of the room. They had a very similar sense of humor and liked a lot of the same musicians. They also bonded a lot over fitness related things. Clarke found out that Octavia was able to squat at least 40 more pounds than Clarke. She made a mental note to work out with her throughout the year. Clarke and Octavia had both played soccer in high school and were itching to join a club sport team in order to stay fit and meet new people.

As if it was meant to be, on the Sunday before classes started, the two heard a knock at the door, followed by, “Hey girls! It’s Raven.” Clarke excitedly ran to the door, expecting it to only be Raven, but what she saw caused her demeanor to change completely. Standing at the door was Raven with three other girls, all wearing hoodies that said “Arkadia Rugby”. One of the girls was the one that Clarke had seen talking to Raven a few days before. She looked at Clarke and Clarke felt her chest tighten.

“H-h-hello,” Clarke managed to mutter out. Octavia quickly slipped in beside Clarke, putting her arm around her roommate. The girls stared at Clarke, who was at a loss for words, so Octavia decided to speak up.

“Hey Raven, what’s up?” Octavia said. One of the girls muttered, “You were right, Reyes. These girls are jacked. You did your job well.” Octavia and Clarke looked at each other with confusion but it was short lived as Raven spoke up.

“Hey girls! I noticed when I was moving you guys in that you’re both very sporty and in great shape. I was wondering if you would be interested in joining the rugby team! These are some of my teammates: Indra, Ontari, and our captain, Lexa.” Octavia and Clarke looked at each other again. Clarke did not even have to think twice about which of the girls was Lexa, whose piercing green eyes and rough demeanor hadn’t changed since Clarke saw her yelling at Raven. Octavia looked as though she might burst from excitement and this look alone caused Clarke to grin.

“I have never played before but I am SO down,” said Octavia. “I actually wrestled in high school and have always been interested in learning more about the sport. I had no idea that Arkadia had a women’s team. My older brother Bellamy actually plays on the men’s team! When do you guys practice?”

Clarke watched as the faces of the girls at her door lit up. Lexa’s eyes rolled when Octavia mentioned the men’s team, which caused Clarke to chuckle. They were all talking excitedly amongst one another and told Octavia that they were holding a practice for returning players tonight, and that any prospective players were welcome to come and watch. Raven and Octavia were exchanging phone numbers and other information while Lexa’s eyes were fixated on Clarke.

“What about you, Princess?” the girl said in an accent that Clarke assumed was Australian or British. Clarke could feel her ears get hot. She hated when anyone assumed that her blonde hair made her some sort of damsel in distress. She was far from it.

“Oh my god, Lexa, what the fuck is your problem?” Raven said defensively.

“Reyes,” Lexa, barked. “What have I told you about speaking to me like that?” Raven shuddered and apologized. Clarke did not like the way that Lexa had spoken to Raven, nor did she like how Lexa talked down to her. Instead of taking a jab at Lexa, Clarke remembered what her mother had told her about killing people with kindness.

Clarke looked up at Lexa and said, “I’m down. Bring it on.”

Startled by Clarke’s confidence, Lexa furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Clarke quizzically. “Alright,” she said coolly. “Then that’s that. Our practice starts in two hours at the field behind the gym. Do you both know where that is?”  Clarke nodded.

“Perfect!” said Raven. “I really hope to see you guys there! If you want to join, we practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the semester and games are usually on Saturdays.” The girls said their goodbyes, turned around, and headed for the exit of the dorm. Clarke and Octavia closed the door.

“Oh my god I am so excited!” Octavia yelled. “I have always wanted to try rugby. Girls who play rugby are such bad asses. I mean, did you see Lexa? Her presence alone made me nervous. And did you hear her accent? She seems like kind of a bitch though.” Octavia continued to ramble on about Lexa and the other girls. Clarke was only slightly listening to her roommate, unable to take her mind off the stunning, yet incredibly standoffish brunette that had just left her door.

Arkadia was located in a mountainous region so it got cool at night, even in August. Clarke and Octavia threw on hoodies and jeans and made their way to the field. Clarke knew the campus well because her parents had brought her there numerous times as a child. As she walked up to the field, she realized that she had played soccer on this same field with her dad, and it caused her to stop in her tracks. There were bleachers along the field and Clarke and Octavia quickly found an empty space to sit. There were about 15 or 20 girls on the pitch. Raven saw them from a distance and gave them an excited wave but was quickly scolded by Lexa for not paying attention.

Octavia and Clarke looked at each other nervously and then returned their gaze to the pitch as they watched the team warm up. They started out by doing Indian runs around the pitch, and then stopped to do some dynamic stretches. They did not seem to have a coach in attendance, and Clarke heard Lexa yell in her strong accent, “Alright! Now that we’re warmed up, backs on me and forwards on Raven. Clarke had no idea what that meant so she asked Octavia if she knew. Octavia did not know either, but Clarke watched as the team split into two groups, some with Raven, walking over to a sled, and the rest with Lexa, who instructed her girls to get into lines of four. Clarke marveled over Lexa’s passing and how she dominated the pitch. She was yelling and giving instructions while making everything look so easy. Her passes were perfect spirals and they would always go right into the hands of whoever she was passing to. Unfortunately for Lexa, she was one of the only players who seemed to get good passes off. Clarke watched Lexa get more and more aggravated with every mistake.

After the fourth dropped ball, Lexa yelled, “Ladies! What the FUCK is going on? Did we forget how to pass over the summer? For every dropped ball, I am going to make the ENTIRE team run five suicides. Including the forwards.”

Raven rolled her eyes at Lexa, who was receiving annoyed glares from her teammates.

“Alright, enough fucking around. Let’s get our heads back into it.”

“Yes Commander,” replied the girls. Clarke looked at Octavia and scoffed, “She has them call her the commander? Give me a break.” Octavia nodded nervously and Clarke made a mental note to play with the forwards, if that meant that she would have more practice time without Lexa. The practice went on with various drills. After about an hour, the two sides came together. Lexa set up cones and after she instructed her girls to put in their mouth guards, the drill began. The drill was a 1v1 contact drill. One player had the ball and had to make it past the other player. Raven was the first person with the ball and Clarke and Octavia watched in awe as she blew past the other girl, stiff arming her in the face.

“Nicely done Reyes,” said Lexa as she slapped Raven’s butt and lined up to be the next defender.  The girl on offense, who Clarke had never seen before, quivered when she realized that she was going up against Lexa.

“Come on Charlotte, don’t be nervous. Hit me with your best.” The girl charged at Lexa but Clarke quickly realized that Lexa was bringing 90% more effort than her teammate. Lexa got low and collided with Charlotte, wrapping her arms around her waist and throwing her to the ground with the force of a freight train. A few of the teammates gasped, while others like Raven and Indra cheered gave each other high fives. The intensity was unlike anything that Clarke had ever seen. She was completely enamored with Lexa at this point, as she watched her get up, brush some dirt off her forehead and get back in line. Charlotte was slow to get up, but seemed to be okay.

“DID YOU SEE THAT?!” Octavia yelled. “Holy shit. She is a fucking rock star. I cannot wait for the first practice. I am so excited to kick ass and learn from Lexa.”

“I think you mean ‘Commander’,” Clarke smirked, rolling her eyes. The practice continued with different drills and more big hits. Once it got dark, Lexa called the practice and the girls ran the suicides that she had threatened them with earlier. Lexa was in pristine shape and made her suicides look effortless. After they were finished, Lexa ran over to her bag and stripped off the long sleeve shirt that she was wearing. Her sweat coated body glistened in the darkness and Clarke could not help but stare at her beautifully sculpted body that was covered in tribal tattoos.

“Like what you see, Princess?” Lexa yelled. Octavia shoved Clarke, who at this point had her mouth slightly open.

“N-n-no. I mean, um y-yes,” Clarke managed to utter out, as she felt her face get hot. Thankfully no one else was around, otherwise the situation would have been ten times more embarrassing.

“Well,” Lexa smirked, “Let me know when you figure it out.” Clarke buried her head in her hands as Lexa walked away from them, yelling, “Alright ladies, see you at the house in a few.”

Raven eventually caught up to Lexa, stripping off her sweaty clothes, and changing into something more comfortable. Clarke watched Octavia’s face as she stared at Raven, eyeing her up and down. Unlike Lexa, Raven was completely oblivious to Octavia’s glances and casually walked up to the pair.

“So what did you two think?” Raven asked.

“That. Was. Incredible!” Octavia exclaimed. “I am super interested in joining the team. I honestly had no idea what was happening half the time but I am very excited to learn.”

“Great! I am so happy to hear that. We usually hang out at our house after practice and drink a few beers. Would you guys like to come? It would be a great way for you to get to know the rest of the team.”

Raven did not even have to ask twice before Octavia sprung up from her seat, grabbed Clarke by the arm, and followed Raven to her car. The three girls piled into Raven’s sedan and they drove for about 10 minutes before reaching a collection of houses that all appeared to be occupied by sororities, fraternities, and different sports teams. Raven pulled up across from a modest, two story house that had definitely seen better days.

“This house has been occupied by rugby girls since the team was created almost 5 years ago,” said Raven. Clarke and Octavia nodded and followed Raven to the door.

“Reyes!” Indra exclaimed, “Glad you could join us!” Indra high fived Raven and handed her a can of beer. Indra was tall and stocky and was wearing a striped collared shirt that read “Arkadia Rugby”.  Indra also handed Clarke and Octavia cans of beer, something that Clarke was not exactly used to. Clarke had gotten drunk at parties during high school but never really drank in a social setting before.  

Raven ushered Clarke and Octavia inside the house, and Clarke had the chance to look around. The house was a lot better looking on the inside, with wooden floors and rugby posters and pictures covering the walls. It had a main sitting room, with 3 couches arranged in a square, where 10 players were sitting and sipping on beers. Clarke could see a light at the end of a hallway, where she assumed the kitchen was.

One of the girls who was sitting on the couch, who introduced herself as Anya, was the first to speak to the new recruits. “So what did you girls think? We’re pretty bad ass, huh?” Clarke noticed that she had the same accent as Lexa, and upon looking at her, realized that they had the same thick, brown hair and grizzly expression, which made her wonder if they were sisters. Octavia jumped at the opportunity to respond.

“Yeah! You guys are incredible. I am so excited to learn from all of you!” The group looked at Clarke, expecting her to say something as well.

“Oh totally! You guys are amazing. I have never played a contact sport like this before but I am willing to give it my all.”

 “Well, I’m glad that you guys weren’t scared off,” Anya replied. “I’m so happy that it’s finally getting bigger in the states. Where Lexa and I are from in Australia, it’s all rugby, all the time. We’ve been playing since we were little. Our dad is a pretty big deal back in Australia.”

Clarke applauded her instincts and wondered what Lexa was like growing up. She wondered if she had always been such a hard-ass. She started asking Anya more questions about herself and learned that Anya was a senior in the international relations major and her sister was a junior, in the same program.

Everyone seemed really excited to meet Clarke and Octavia. Clarke was impressed with how welcoming and friendly everyone was, especially after all of the grief that she received from Lexa. Clarke was more curious about the game of rugby though, so she asked Raven which position she played.

 “I play flanker,” Raven said proudly. “Flankers are forwards and they stand on the outside of the scrum, ready to push and fuck shit up when it goes awry.” Clarke nodded even though she did not understand anything that Raven said, however she recognized the term that Lexa had used earlier.  “Anya is a back and plays fly half, which lines her up next to Lexa, who is our captain and scrum half. Oh, and you met Indra, she is one of our locks.” Clarke admitted to Raven that she had no idea what any of that meant, and Raven assured her that she would pick up the lingo in no time.

“Are you fast, Clarke?” Raven inquired. Clarke nodded. “Just from appearances, I think you’d make a great wing, which is awesome because we lost Costia, our top winger last year.  She graduated and moved across the country.”

The room fell silent as Lexa entered the room and said, “Reyes, I thought we agreed that we were not going to bring her up anymore.” Raven turned as white as a ghost and Clarke could tell that she immediately regretted what she had just said. Lexa’s piercing green eyes were stabbing Raven like a thousand swords as she sat down on the couch next to her sister. Anya placed her and on Lexa’s shoulder, which Lexa quickly shoved off.

“Enough.” Lexa said. “I will not have my team walking on eggshells around me. Reyes, I’m sorry for snapping at you. And Princess, I’m excited to see how fast you can run. You seem strong, let’s see if you can put it to good use.” Clarke gulped down large sip of beer and stared at Lexa, not letting the brunette intimidate her.

“Challenge accepted,” she responded.

The rest of the evening was more pleasant. Anya and Raven set up the projector to show old game film, and began to explain the positions to Clarke and Octavia. The roommates listened intently, trying to absorb all of the information that they could. When Raven pointed out the wing position to Clarke, Clarke couldn’t help but notice the tall, beautiful, curly haired, brown eyed girl who was wearing number 14, the number that Raven said was reserved for wings. She watched as Costia received a long ball from Lexa, sprinting down the length of the field and scoring, only to be lifted up by Lexa and given a sweet kiss on the cheek. Clarke could tell that there was some intense chemistry between the two, both on and off the field. This caused her to feel for Lexa, wondering how hard it must have been to be left in college while the person you care about gets to explore the world. Still, it was no reason for Lexa to be so harsh to Raven. She looked over at Lexa as the film showed Lexa embracing Costia and she could see the anger and sadness building in her eyes.

 “Alright,” Lexa said coldly. “That’s enough. It’s getting late and we all have classes tomorrow. Remember that class is the first priority, then rugby. Reyes, do you mind driving the new recruits back to campus?” Raven got up and smiled at Clarke and Octavia and ushered them towards the door. They thanked the team for their hospitality and bid them farewell.

As Clarke and Octavia laid in their beds, Clarke couldn’t help but let her mind wander to Lexa. Watching her truck Charlotte, listening to her chew out anyone who disrespected her, and how sensitive she got when Costia was brought up. She started thinking about Lexa’s body, her toned abs, her defined shoulder muscles, her ripped quads and her tattoos. Clarke was sure that this crush was going to bite her in the ass someday, but for now, she felt that worshipping from afar would not hurt anyone.  


	2. Runnin'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Clarke starts classes and has her first rugby practice.

The first day of classes was a whirlwind. Clarke had two classes in the morning and then the rest of the day to herself.  She tried to concentrate as each professor went over their syllabus, but Clarke felt her mind drifting to Lexa and her intricate tattoos. All of these emotions were coming to her at once and as she sat in her biology lab, she felt as though she was sitting there naked, for everyone to see. She turned bright red at the thought of sitting in her lab completely naked, and when the professor dismissed the class, she sprinted to her dorm room.

Clarke knew herself well enough to know that she needed to go on a run to clear her mind. Arkadia, being in the middle of nowhere, had a large trail and camping area that ran through the surrounding woods. Clarke’s father had taken her on these trails when she was younger, so she had a fair idea of where to find them. Thankfully, Octavia was in class, because Clarke did not feel like answering any of her questions. She suited up, grabbing her favorite t-shirt and leggings, and slipped on running shoes that she knew she could get dirty. She jogged over to the main admission building, knowing that there was a trail head behind it. Clarke put in her earbuds, selected her favorite running playlist and sprinted into the dark, covered, woods. She was in the zone. She felt like no one could stop her and that nothing mattered. After running for fifteen minutes, her runner's high started to kick in and she felt as if she was floating on thin air as she glided through the overgrown forest. She continued to run, faster and faster, until time began to escape her.

As if it were fate, Clarke quickly snapped out of her trance and realized that someone was running towards her from the opposite direction. As the dark figure got closer, Clarke realized that it was Lexa. Clarke stopped, unaware of how tired she was, and as Lexa approached, she too started to slow down. Lexa squinted at Clarke, which Clarke thought was adorable, and took a few steps closer to the blonde.

“Princess,” Lexa breathed out heavily. “What are you doing here? How do you know about these trails?”

Clarke was in awe of Lexa’s beauty. She was running in only a sports bra and tiny, spandex shorts, which allowed Clarke to gaze at almost every inch of her body.

“Uh.. uh..” Clarke managed to mutter. “Well, my parents went to Arkadia and would bring me here as a kid. My dad would always bring me to the trails and we would walk around for hours, looking at all of the different birds and plants.”

“Oh, I see. Very impressive. Most upperclassmen don’t even know about these trails.”

Clarke smiled, thinking about all of her wonderful memories in these woods. The combination of fatigue, Lexa’s presence, and thinking about her father was too much for Clarke. She felt herself slowly lose consciousness and fall to the wet earth.

“Clarke! Clarke!” she heard, as she felt someone shake her gently and rub her shoulder. She slowly opened her eyes and saw a shadow leaning over her. She tried to get up, but she shadow kept her down, telling her to take it easy. Clarke was finally able to open her eyes fully and realized that she was leaned up against Lexa, who had her arm around her. Clarke jolted at Lexa’s touch, which definitely startled the Commander.

“It’s okay, Clarke. You’re okay.”

They sat there for 20 minutes, with Clarke’s head on Lexa’s shoulder. A few minutes passed and Lexa said, “Are you ready to head back? I’ll walk with you to your dorm. I know a shortcut from here.”

Clarke nodded and Lexa lifted her up, putting Clarke’s arm around her shoulder. Lexa was a bit shorter than Clarke, so it worked out perfectly. The girls walked arm in arm back to Clarke’s dorm. Once they got to room 307, Lexa said, “You can take it from here, yeah?” Clarke smiled and thanked Lexa for all of her help.

“Of course, Princess. If we’re going to be teammates, we have to take care of each other. I always do what’s best for my people. I hope to see you at practice tomorrow.” She squeezed Clarke’s shoulder and slowly left the building, glancing back at Clarke to make sure that she got into her room safely.

As Clarke opened the door, she heard Octavia exclaim, “Was that Lexa that I heard?” and after taking one look at Clarke, who was still a little pale and covered in dirt from her fall said, “And what the hell happened to you?”

Clarke explained the whole thing to Octavia. Starting with her father, the trails, and ending with her mega crush on Lexa.

Octavia, who was incredibly sympathetic when Clarke was talking about her dad, quickly changed gears once Lexa was mentioned. “I knew it! I could totally feel the vibes.”

Clarke rolled her eyes at Octavia, who was grinning at Clarke with her beautiful smile. Clarke grabbed her towel, went into the bathroom, and hopped into the shower. As she scrubbed, she realized that she had a few cuts, which stung when they came into contact with the water. Clarke slowly made her way out of the shower and into her bed.  

“Goodnight, O” she said, before drifting off into a deep sleep.

 She was awoken at 8am by her alarm which reminded her of her 9:30am art history elective. She slowly got up, realizing that her legs were sore from her run. She wondered what they would feel like after Lexa’s practice in the evening. She decided to put rugby into the back of her mind as she got ready, grabbed a breakfast bar, and headed out the door. When she walked into the lecture hall, she was happy to see a familiar face. Anya saw Clarke walk into the room and waved her over. Clarke sat down next to Anya who turned to Clarke and said, “This class is going to be a huge joke.  I’m just taking it because I know it will boost my GPA”

Clarke smiled and before she could respond, the professor walked in and handed out the syllabus. The professor was a small, old woman with glasses that were disproportionately large on her face. She had a quiet voice and Clarke knew that she was going to have a tough time paying attention in class. Anya was right, this class was going to be a huge joke. After the professor dismissed the class, Anya pulled Clarke aside.

“Do you have any classes after this? Do you want to grab lunch or something?” Clarke had a substantial window in between her next class and even though it was a little early, the breakfast bar that she had earlier was not sufficient. Clarke followed Anya to one of the cafés on campus, and when she walked through the door, Clarke saw Lexa sitting at an empty table, with her eyes focused on her computer.

“Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that we’re meeting my sister here. Hope that’s not an issue,” Anya told Clarke.

“No problem at all!” Clarke said in a fake, perky tone. She was in no state to sit and eat with Lexa, especially after yesterday’s events. Anya and Clarke made their way to the table where Lexa was sitting. She still had yet to look up from her computer, but that quickly changed when Anya slammed her bag on the table.

               “LEX,” Anya yelled. “Put that shit away. What do you want to eat?” Lexa quickly looked up and once she saw that Clarke was standing next to her sister, she instantly appeared to be uncomfortable.

               “You know what I like, Anya,” Lexa said. “And here,” she said as she handed Anya a wad of cash, “Pay for Clarke’s food as well.” Clarke felt herself blush, not wanting to free-ride.

               “No, it’s okay. I got it,” Clarke said. Anya shook her head, and pulled Clarke towards the cash register. Clarke ordered a chicken salad sandwich and a coffee. While Anya was paying, she made her way back to the table. Lexa had returned to her computer, and did not seem to be phased by anything that was going on around her. Anya came out of nowhere with the tray of food and in one swift motion, placed the food on the table and shut Lexa’s laptop.

               “Enough work. It’s family time.”

               Lexa rolled her eyes. She took her salad from the tray and began to eat it. The three ate in an awkward silence before Anya spoke up. “So Clarke, what made you decide to come to Arkadia?”

               “Well, my parents actually met here and my dad would bring me around the University all the time when he would come and visit. So, I pretty much grew up here. Also, the competitive pre-med program, the diversity, and the sense of community definitely helped as well.” Clarke was satisfied with her answer. She looked up at Lexa who was overly invested in her salad and seemed to not have heard anything that Clarke said.

               “That’s awesome!” replied Anya. “I hope that your dad will be able to make it to some of our games. That is, if you do decide to join us.”

               Clarke’s face tensed up and as another awkward silence fell upon the group, Lexa finally looked up from her salad.

               “U-um well my dad actually passed away four years ago,” Clarke said. “I’m sure my mom would love to come and watch us. Although I’m still unsure of how she will react to me playing rugby. She is a doctor and all.” Clarke tried to smile and laugh it off but the way that Lexa was looking at her in that moment was incredibly unsettling. She had never seen the girl’s green eyes so soft and filled with compassion.

               “I’m so sorry, Clarke. I had absolutely no idea,” Anya said with sympathy. Clarke assured her that it was okay and their conversation drifted to other subjects and topics. Lexa, however, remained silent throughout the rest of the lunch.

Clarke had to cut the lunch short because she had to run to class, but she assured Anya and Lexa that she would see them at practice later. As she walked away from the café, she felt incredibly confused as to why Lexa hadn’t brought up yesterday’s events as well as why she had been so quiet throughout the lunch. She shrugged it off, concluding that Lexa was the kind of person that usually kept to herself, which is something that Clarke could understand. Clarke’s next class was Spanish. Her professor was a beautiful woman from Spain, which got Clarke’s mind off Lexa for a while. The class was enjoyable, Clarke was passionate about learning Spanish, and it was nice to have a change of pace.

Her class ended at 3:15, giving Clarke had exactly 2 hours before she had to head to her first rugby practice. She walked into her room to find an overeager Octavia, sitting at the edge of her bed. Octavia was completely dressed and ready for practice. She even had a filled water bottle on her bedside table. She was a little bit quieter than usual, which Clarke attributed to nerves. Clarke greeted her roommate and inquired how her day was going. She told her about her awkward lunch with Anya and Lexa, which Octavia ate up like a bag of chips. Her eyes got wider and wider as Clarke told her the events of the afternoon.

Clarke needed to rest though, and took the time to nap for 30 minutes before getting ready for practice. She and Octavia had been watching rugby videos since Sunday, and had sent each other clips via Instagram throughout the day. Clarke was ready. She was nervous to interact with Lexa but had a feeling that joining this team was something that she was meant to do.

“Oh,” Octavia exclaimed. “I forgot to mention that Raven stopped by earlier and dropped these off.” Clarke watched as Octavia pointed at the shorts that she was wearing and then handed Clarke a pair as well as a mouth guard. “Apparently rugby calls for special shorts.” Clarke shrugged, pulling the shorts over her spandex.

The two roommates made their way out onto the field and were greeted by Raven and Anya who were pumping balls. Raven chucked a ball at Clarke’s face and to her surprise, she was able to catch it with one hand.

“Damn, Griffin! I see you!” yelled Raven. Clarke and Octavia laced up their cleats and then walked onto the pitch, where a small group of girls was starting to form. Clarke recognized Indra and Charlotte, as well as some other girls from the rugby house that she was not introduced to. Indra walked up to Clarke with two other girls.

“Griffin,” she said coolly. “This is Ontari and Harper.  Ontari is a lock with me and Harper props.” Clarke was getting better at rugby terminology. She remembered that locks were in the second row of the scrum and that props were in the first row. She glanced at Harper, whose stature towered over Clarke. Clarke smiled and shook the girls hands.

Out of nowhere, Lexa emerged with a few other teammates in tow. “Alright ladies. This is our last practice without Coach Gustus. Let’s make sure that he is impressed when he returns on Thursday.” The rest of the team nodded and they proceeded to warm up the same as they did last practice. Clarke felt confident as she sprinted during the Indian runs without missing a beat. They switched over to dynamic stretching and once they were finished, Lexa called for the separation between backs and forwards. Clarke and Octavia looked at Lexa expectantly, as neither of them really knew where they belonged.

“Octavia,” Lexa called. “Didn’t I overhear you saying that you wrestled in high school?” Octavia nodded. “Alright then. Let’s throw you in with the forwards. You and Raven have a similar build. I think you could be our other flanker.” Octavia’s face lit up with excitement as she ran over to Raven’s group.

“And you,” Lexa said as she looked at Clarke with a smile. “You’re stuck with me. I saw you running yesterday. You’re going to make a hell of a wing, as long as you don’t pass out, that is.” Clarke gulped, wondering how she was going to be able to survive all this time spent with Lexa.

The practice went similarly to the one that Clarke had observed with Octavia. Lexa divided her backs into four lines and ran a variety of looping and switching drills. Clarke had no idea what she was doing half the time, but she focused on getting the ball off cleanly and catching the ball. She had a few balls that went awry but she was pleased with her first time catching and throwing a rugby ball. After about an hour of running lines and doing other drills, Lexa instructed the girls to get water and to prepare for contact. Clarke ran to her bag and had some water and grabbed her mouth guard from her bag. She looked over at Octavia who was in deep conversation with Raven. Clarke wondered if Octavia knew how much of a fangirl she was being.  

               In order to warm up their bodies for contact, they were instructed to find someone of their similar stature and to line up face to face with them while on their knees. They were to lock arms and to push against each other, with one ultimately pinning the other one to the ground. Clarke laughed internally because of how sexual it sounded. Before Clarke could turn to Octavia, she had already partnered with Raven. Clarke looked around and realized that everyone already had a partner. Everyone, except for Lexa. Lexa realized this as well and slowly walked up to Clarke.

               “Alright Princess,” she said with an overconfident smirk. “Give me your best.”

               Clarke lined up face to face with Lexa. Before she had a chance to think, Lexa grabbed Clarke’s arms and threw her to the ground with an incredible amount of force.

               “Really? You’re going to make it that easy for me? C’mon. I know you’re stronger than that.”

               Clarke peeled herself from the ground and she could feel her elbow throbbing. She put the pain in the back of her mind as she reset herself and grabbed Lexa’s arms. The two struggled for a bit, but Clarke realized that if she twisted her torso, she would have enough momentum to push Lexa to the ground. She did exactly this, slightly twisting her body and pushing with all that she had. She felt Lexa’s body start to give out and before she knew it, Clarke was on top of Lexa, almost straddling her with their noses about to touch. She watched as Lexa smiled, her eyes squinting ever so slightly. She was so close to Lexa and all she wanted was to close the gaps between their mouths. Before she could say anything, she felt Lexa push up against her arms, and flip Clarke onto her back. Now, Lexa was on top of Clarke and after giving her an extremely enticing look, stood up and started to observe the progress of her teammates.

               After their bodies were warm, they did various contact drills which left Clarke feeling like she had gotten hit by a bus. She looked down at her legs and noticed that various bruises were beginning to form and winced as she ran her fingers along them. Practice ended with suicides, which were the result of dropped passes and missed tackles. Clarke and Octavia slowly made their way to their bags and changed into sweatpants, slowly peeling off their clothes to reveal even more bruises.

               “You guys are coming to the house, yeah?” said Anya. Clarke and Octavia nodded excitedly and made their way to Raven’s car.  

               Raven pulled up to the rugby house and the teammates strolled up to the door. This time, Anya opened the door and welcomed them into the house.

“Well if it isn’t my new favorite flanker!” Anya exclaimed as she put her hand around Octavia’s shoulder. “Sorry Ray, but this girl KILLED at practice today. She’s going to be such a huge asset to the team.” Raven smiled, agreeing with Anya’s words, and put her arm around Octavia’s other shoulder. The three of them skipped to the living room and piled onto the couches.

Clarke awkwardly made her way through the door way, and as she looked up, she noticed a pair of green eyes that were watching her from the kitchen hallway. “Hey Lexa,” she said with a smile. Lexa nodded in Clarke’s direction but quickly turned around and headed back towards the kitchen. The reaction frustrated Clarke. There was no need to be rude. Clarke was only trying to be friendly. She figured that there was no need to chase after Lexa and chastise her for being an asshole, so she continued towards the living room. As she got closer to the living room, she realized that her new teammates were having an interesting conversation.

 “We do a lot of mixers with the men’s team, which is great for a lot of our players but a good chunk of the girls on the team are into girls as well,” Raven said. “Even the incredibly beautiful Anya,” she said, grabbing Anya’s face and gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek. Clarke watched as Anya blushed and shoved Raven off her.

“In your dreams Reyes,” Anya said with a smirk. “You know what the captain said about dating and hooking up with people on the team. The only ones exempt from the rule are Harper and Monroe, but that is because they started dating long before Lexa established the rule. They’re pretty much married. There’s no way we could break them up.” Clarke looked over at Harper and Monroe who looked at each other and stuck out their tongues. “While the rule is…unfortunate,” Anya started, “We don’t need any additional distractions or drama on the team. However, we are free to branch out to the other sport teams. I, for one, have my eye on the starting striker from the women’s soccer team.” Raven rolled her eyes as Anya continued describing her crush on who she claimed was “Alex Morgan’s gay twin.”

Clarke looked down and felt thankful for the rule. At least now, she would be less tempted to pursue anything with Lexa. She did not want to get on anyone’s bad side, especially as a new player. Clarke assumed that this rule came about because of Lexa and her relationship with Costia. She did not feel comfortable asking anyone about the source of the rule, so she kept quiet as she took a long drink from her water bottle. She hadn’t realized it before, but she was absolutely exhausted. Her body was aching from all of the contact from practice, most notably was a bruise the size of a baseball which had formed along the inside of her thigh. It was incredibly swollen and the pre-med in her thought that it would be good idea to ice it.

She leaned over to Raven, who she had just sat next to and asked her if they had any ice in the house.

 Raven laughed and said, “This is the rugby house, Clarke. We literally have all of the ice.” She took Clarke’s hand and led her into the kitchen. Clarke really trusted Raven. She made her feel safe and comfortable. As they walked into the kitchen, hand in hand, Clarke realized that Lexa was sitting in the kitchen with notes and a text book scattered across the table.

Lexa looked up and noticed that Raven and Clarke were holding hands. Her nostrils flared as she said, “Reyes. Come on. You know the rules. Stop flirting with the new recruits.” Clarke quickly ripped her hand from Raven’s and could feel her cheeks start to redden.

“Excuse me, Commander,” Raven said sarcastically. “I was just helping the lovely lady to the kitchen so that I could get ice for her battered legs.”

“Watch that tone, Reyes,” Lexa said angrily. She looked over at Clarke and looked at her legs in a way that almost made Clarke uncomfortable. “Was practice too rough for you, Princess?” she said, rolling her eyes.

“No,” said Clarke adamantly. She absolutely hated the way that Lexa talked down to her. “Practice was great. I just want to take care of myself, like anyone should.”

“Fair enough,” Lexa said as she pursed her lips and looked at Clarke once more before returning to her books.

During this uncomfortable exchange. Raven had the grabbed ice from the freezer and as Clarke stood there, fuming at Lexa, Raven grabbed her and dragged her to a bedroom that was a few steps away from the kitchen. “I know how you’re feeling right now buddy, but promise me. It’s definitely not worth it.”

Raven opened the door and ushered Clarke inside, telling her to lay down on the bed. She handed Clarke the ice, and started to put away some of the clothes that were scattered on the floor.

“Thank you, Raven,” Clarke said with a smile. “I’m assuming that this is your room? How many other girls live here?”

“Pretty much the whole team is here except for one or two girls. It helps us stay focused and brings us closer together.” Clarke nodded and winced as she put the ice against her bruise. “Sorry about Lexa,” Raven started. “She can be a little intense sometimes and it comes off as incredibly rude.”

“That’s the understatement of the century,” Clarke said with a grin.

“She really cares though,” Raven said. “If she did not care for the team as much as she does, I doubt any of us would stick through her bullshit. When she and Anya got to Arkadia, the women’s team was failing. There wasn’t a lot of excitement or interest and most people thought that we weren’t going to have numbers for games. But Lexa never gave up. She pushed and pushed, meeting as many girls as she could and convinced them to play for the team.” Clarke listened intently as Raven continued to ramble.

“Plus, she’s a phenomenal player. It’s an honor to just share the pitch with her. I played rugby all throughout high school and I have never seen a player as dedicated and talented as Lexa. She’s been through a lot this past year. All of the stuff with Costia really broke her. Some of us weren’t sure if she was going to come back and play. But I knew her well enough to know that rugby is her life and she would never let a bad break-up get in the way of what she truly loves. Once you get to know her, she can actually be a real softie.”

Clarke did not know what to say. She almost felt guilty for having such negative feelings towards Lexa, thinking that she was some kind of emotionless wall. Raven could tell that Clarke was taken aback and she gave her a pat on the back.

“No worries though pal,” Raven said. “She can still be an arrogant ass. You just have to get to know her better. We really have a great group of girls on this team and we are all super stoked to have you and Octavia join us.”

Clarke smiled and thought about how nice it was to have the community that the team provided. Before she could say anything else, Anya popped her head through the door.

“There you guys are. Glad to see I’m not interrupting anything,” she said with a wink. “I am going to run to campus to meet some friends so I was going to drop off our rookies. Is that alright, Clarke?”

Clarke nodded and slid off the bed. Her legs ached as she stood up. She thanked Ayna for offering to drop them off and started out towards the living room before realizing that she had to return the ice pack to the freezer. She told Anya that she had to run back to the kitchen to which Anya replied that she would be waiting outside in the car with Octavia.    

Clarke inched towards the kitchen, completely forgetting that Lexa would probably still be sitting at the table. Clarke opened the freezer and placed the ice pack atop a pile of about 10 others and turned, catching the green eyes that had been staring at her since the moment she entered the room.

“I guess I’ll see you around,” Clarke said awkwardly.

“Wait, Clarke,” Lexa said as she stood up. “I’m sorry if I came off a little too strong earlier. I know that you have what it takes. I just enjoy pushing people’s buttons, especially people who I know can take it. You kicked ass today, especially for someone who has never played before.” Lexa started to twirl her braid with her finger and looked up at Clarke gingerly.  “I don’t know if anyone told you but we have a scrimmage on Saturday against one of our biggest rivals. It doesn’t count for anything, but losing to them is definitely not an option. You’re quicker and stronger than our other wings. You can help us win. I know that we have practice on Thursday, but is there any chance that you have any extra time to throw the ball around during the week?”

Clarke was baffled at the fact that Lexa paid her a compliment. She was also surprised that Lexa thought that she had what it took to actually play in a game. She knew that Lexa meant business and would not have asked her to play if she did not think that she could. She looked down at the brunette, who was anxiously awaiting Clarke’s response.

“Thank you, Lexa,” she said with a smile. “That really means a lot coming from you. I’m free tomorrow after 3 but are you sure that I’m even ready to play in a game?”

Lexa smirked. “Princess, do you think I’d let you play if I didn’t think you were ready? You should get a move on though, my big sister does _not_ like to be kept waiting.”

Clarke gulped and waved goodbye to Lexa, who chuckled as the blonde pretty much sprinted out of the kitchen. Clarke popped her head into the living room and said goodbye to the teammates who remained. She grabbed her bag and jogged outside, where she saw Anya starting impatiently at the house, with Octavia in the seat next to her. Clarke opened the back door and slid into the seat.

“About time, Doc,” Anya said. “What were you doing in there? Performing surgery?”

“No,” Clarke lamented. Under her breath she muttered, “But it felt like it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone for the positive feedback! If any of you want to ask further questions or follow me on tumblr, my url is perfection-hinders-progress 
> 
> Chapter 4 will be really rugby heavy so I will post a crash course at the end of the next chapter! Happy reading! :)


	3. Space is Just a Word Made Up by Someone Who's Afraid to Get Close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Clarke has one on one time with Lexa and she meets the men's rugby team. Also, party-girl Griffin emerges.

 

Clarke and Octavia slowly made their way back into their dorm. It was predetermined that Clarke was going to shower first, so once they got back to the room, she grabbed her towel and shower caddy and limped into the bathroom. As the hot water cascaded onto her battered body, she couldn’t help but think about the strange day that she had. The lunch with Anya and Lexa, practice, and the weird interactions with Lexa at the rugby house. She must have spaced out for a long time, because she snapped out of her trance at the sound of Octavia banging on the door, begging her to hurry up. Clarke quickly finished up in the shower, dried off, and put on her pjs. She opened the door and a wave of steam overtook her dorm room.

“About time!” Octavia said as she rolled her eyes jokingly. Clarke watched as she strutted confidently into the bathroom, only wearing her sports bra and spandex.

Clarke hopped into her bed, and as she stared at the ceiling, she could feel her body throbbing. If this is what rugby could do to her body after one practice, she could not imagine what the entire season would do to her. However, she felt connected to the sport. Today was one of the first times in a while that she felt a part of something. Leaving her mom was a struggle but she was quickly realizing that she was going to find a home in her rugby team. Everyone was so welcoming and open. It was exactly what she needed.

As she was drifting off, she felt her phone buzz. She looked down and realized that it was from a number that she did not have in her contact list.

**Unknown: Hey Princess, it’s Lexa. I got your number from Raven. Does 3pm tomorrow still work?**

Clarke smiled to herself and was happy to now have Lexa’s number in her phone.

**Clarke: Yeah totally! We can meet on the field. See you then : )**

Lexa never responded to Clarke’s text, but it did not really matter as Clarke fell asleep soon after.

               Clarke woke up to her body aching. She looked at her phone and realized that her alarm was about to go off. She sat up, slid her legs over the bed and slowly stood up. She looked down at her legs and quickly realized that her usual skinny jeans would not be compatible with her battered knees. She opted for joggers and after primping herself in the bathroom, she grabbed a breakfast bar and her books and headed to class.

               Her two morning classes seemed to fly by and before Clarke knew it, it was nearly time to go out and meet Lexa at the field. She had some time to herself and it was a nice day, so she decided to sit on a bench and do some sketching. Drawing was something that Clarke had done since she was a little girl, but it became a kind of therapy for her, especially after the death of her father. Clarke often found herself drawing him, just so she wouldn’t forget the lines that developed in his face when he smiled. Her journal was filled with sketches of him and of her favorite places around her hometown. Clarke loved to sketch nature and was happy that she went to a school as picturesque as Arkadia. Her friends in high school often encouraged her to pursue a career in art but Clarke did not feel the need to. She wanted her art to be something that she made for herself, not something that she had to make in order to survive.

               She was almost finished with a rough sketch of the regal, ivy covered, admissions building when she glanced at her phone. It was 3:15. Panic surged through Clarke’s body as she quickly gathered her belongings and jogged over to the field. From a distance, she could see Lexa’s toned figure, standing with her hands on her hips.

               “I’m _so_ sorry that I’m late,” Clarke breathed as she finally reached Lexa. She was expecting a wrath unlike any other.

               “It’s fine. Don’t worry.” Lexa said nonchalantly. “I’m just happy that you came. It means a lot. It shows that you care about getting better, which is what matters most to a captain. It shows good character.”

               Clarke did not know what she was expecting Lexa to say but it certainly was not that. 

               “I’m not a monster, Clarke. I know that you think that my ways are harsh but I do what I have to do to succeed.” Clarke nodded.  “Come on. You need all the practice you can get,” Lexa said with a grin.

               Clarke was not going to let Lexa’s freshness slide so she wrapped her arms around Lexa’s waist and pushed her to the ground. Clarke quickly released the tackle, stood up, and brushed the dirt off her shoulder. Lexa was clearly taken aback by Clarke’s actions, but the smile on her face let Clarke know that she wasn’t upset.

               “Good work, Princess. Let’s get started.”

               Lexa had the entire practice mapped out. She wanted to focus mostly on passing, but also wanted to give Clarke one-on-one tackling lessons because she knew that she had not played a contact sport before. They started with passing and Clarke felt confident as her passes got better and better as the afternoon went on. Lexa taught her the importance of catching a ball at pace so that she could blow past the defenders. She felt more and more comfortable as Lexa encouraged her and gave her tips on how to throw the ball in a crisp spiral.

               “If you are making a pass to someone on your left,” Lexa started, “The trick is to do the bulk of your throwing with right hand and use the left hand to guide it. That’s how you can get the pretty spin.”

               Lexa passed the ball to Clarke and by using Lexa’s advice, Clarke was able to pass the ball back with a beautiful spiral. Lexa’s eyes got wide.

               “You’re a great student, Clarke. I am very impressed.”

               Getting confident, Clarke looked at Lexa with a grin. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

               “Watch it. If you let your head get too big, Princess, your tiara isn’t going to fit.”

               Clarke’s nostrils flared. “Are we working on contact soon? Because I really want to hit you right about now.”

               “Easy tiger,” Lexa said with a smile.  “Go get your mouth guard and we can start.”

Clarke ran to her bag and could feel Lexa’s eyes on her every step of the way. They started to run the drill that Clarke had seen the first time that she went to see the team practice. Clarke had the ball in her hands and with angry eyes, she gazed at Lexa who stood about 10 yards away. She was not afraid. She charged at the brunette who was running at her at about the same speed. Lexa got low to make the tackle, but Clarke juked her, and stiff armed Lexa in the chest. She blew past Lexa, who at this point was flat on the ground. Clarke continued to run until the end of the cones, where she touched the ball down and looked back at Lexa. She was slowly getting up and was in the process of catching her breath.

               “That was amazing, Clarke. You’re a natural.” Lexa huffed. Clarke beamed at Lexa’s reaction and stuck out her hand to help the brunette up. Lexa took her hand and used it to stand up. She brushed dirt off her shorts and looked at Clarke proudly. “You showed no fear, just now. You knew what you had to do, you put your head down, and you did it. Your mind is strong, Clarke. It’s important. Rugby may seem like it’s all about physical strength, which don’t get me wrong, is a huge part of it, but it’s also about being mentally strong.”

“I honestly just wanted to get past you so I could get a reaction like that,” Clarke said with a wink.

               “Mockery is not the product of a strong mind, Clarke.” Lexa’s expression completely changed. “This isn’t a joke. I take this shit seriously and if you don’t then I don’t understand why the fuck you’re here.”

               “Woah woah. I’m sorry, Commander Badass. I didn’t mean to offend you. I was just trying make a silly joke. But I _am_ serious about this. I am not even part of the team yet but I already feel like I’m part of a family. You guys really seem to look out for each other and love each other. Let’s just get back to practicing. God knows I need it.”

               Lexa nodded and Clarke watched the anger settle from her eyes. Clarke still had the ball in her hands and Lexa ordered Clarke to take the offensive position again. Clarke’s success was short lived. She wasn’t able to get past Lexa during her next 6 attempts. Lexa pulled her to the ground each and every time. The bruises that were forming all over Clarke’s body ensured that she was not going to forget this practice any time soon.

               Clarke’s stomach started to grumble and Lexa must have heard it because she paused what they were doing and said, “Alright. I’m starving. Do you want to grab food?”

She helped Lexa put everything in a duffle bag and they headed over to Lexa’s car, an old, beat up Jeep, which was parked in the nearby lot.

               Lexa quietly loaded everything into her car and once Clarke was buckled in, she sped away, turning out of Arkadia’s gates. Clarke had no idea where they were going, but she trusted her.

Clarke wanted to make small talk so she said, “So, don’t they drive on the wrong side of the road _down under_?” Clarke, thinking she was the funniest person on earth, said down under in what she believed was an Australian accent.

“First of all, I’m going to pretend that you didn’t just say that.” Lexa said, glaring over at Clarke with her piercing green eyes. “Second of all, that did not even sound remotely Australian so I don’t even know what you were trying to accomplish. You sounded like you were from Ireland or something,” Lexa said with a chuckle as she shook her head.

Clarke blushed. “Sorry, um, I was-uh, just trying to be funny but it just came out really stupid.”

“Relax princess,” Lexa said as she put her right hand on Clarke’s thigh, who winced at the contact. “I’m just giving you a hard time.”

Clarke’s dinner with Lexa went well. The two girls held good conversation about rugby, the team, and life at Arkadia.

“Why do they call you commander?” Clarke asked as she twirled her spaghetti on her fork.

“Well, nicknames are kind of a thing in rugby. Most of the girls on the team have them but I feel like people use mine more than anyone elses. Not sure why…” Lexa trailed off.

“So is Princess my nickname?”

“Do you want Princess to be your nickname, Clarke?”

Clarke loved the way that Lexa said her name. It almost sounded like she was calling her Clock. “No, I do not. Your sister called me Doc yesterday though.”

“Anya needs to chill out. That’s not even a good nickname. But why the hell not? Princesses can be bad as fuck. You know, girl power and all that shit.”

Clarke smiled and rolled her eyes. Her eyes soon met with Lexa’s and she realized that Lexa had been smiling as well.

 There weren’t any awkward silences between the girls and the Italian place that Lexa picked out was absolutely fantastic. Lexa dropped off Clarke in front of her dorm and Clarke walked into the room, greeted by one thousand questions from Octavia, whom Clarke had been texting the entire night.

 

//

 

               Clarke’s Thursday schedule was the same as her Tuesday schedule. She walked into her art history elective and was instantly greeted by Anya, who was leaning back on her chair. Clarke sat next to her and the two girls made small talk throughout the lecture, poking fun at the old, senile professor who was rambling aimlessly about Pablo Picasso.  

               “Want to grab lunch again?” Anya said as the girls walked out of the lecture hall. “Lexa is busy at home prepping for practice tonight so it will just be the two of us.”

               “Sure!” Clarke said with a smile. The girls made their way to the same café that they had gone to on Tuesday. They ordered their food and found a spot along the window where they had an excellent view of Arkadia’s main quad. Clarke was distracted by a group of guys who were tossing a rugby ball on the green and watched as they play tackled each other to the ground like a bunch of six year olds.

               “Typical boys,” Clarke thought to herself.

               “Men really are the inferior species,” Anya said with a giggle as she returned to the table with their food. “That tall one, with the shaggy black hair, that’s Octavia’s older brother, Bellamy.”

               Clarke knew that Octavia’s brother was a senior at Arkadia and that he played on the rugby team, but Clarke had never seen him in person. As she got a better look at Bellamy, she recognized him from the pictures that covered Octavia’s walls. He, like his younger sister, was beautiful, tall, and thin. From the way that he play tackled his teammates, Clarke could also tell that he was incredibly strong.

               “Ew,” Anya said as she watched the boys roughhouse. “Yep. This is why I’m grateful that the universe made me a flaming homosexual.”

               “Amen to that,” Clarke laughed.

After her comment, Anya looked at Clarke expectantly. Clarke realized that Anya was silently asking her something. She had no problem talking about her sexuality. She was surprised that no one had asked her about it earlier. 

“Yeah,” Clarke chuckled. “I’m bisexual, Anya,” she said with a smile.

Anya was beaming. “YES! I’m so happy that the universe has bestowed another member of the community unto our team. I think some of the guys on the men’s team are gay too. Not sure though. You never want to assume or ask someone if they’re not ready to discuss it. I didn’t want to flat out ask you in case you weren’t ready.”

               “Nah, it’s definitely not a secret. I came out in high school. It was hard for a while because I had a boyfriend who didn’t understand but it got easier eventually. No one here has really asked me about it yet and I haven’t really felt the need to talk about it.” Clarke wondered if Anya was going to tell Lexa. Clarke wanted her to tell Lexa.

               Anya nodded, looking at Clarke knowingly. Clarke figured she had a similar experience.

               “Speaking of the men’s team, we have a mixer at their house tonight after practice. It is, after all, thirsty Thursday. It should be a good time. When ruggers get together, shit gets lit.”

               Clarke looked up at Anya excitedly. “That sounds great!” Anya smiled. “Do people usually dress up or do we go straight from practice?”

               “Oh god honey no. We have little reason to get dressed nicely throughout the week so people kind of go a little overboard. It’s not like the prom or anything but don’t be surprised if Reyes shows up in a cocktail dress with her tits out.” Anya rolled her eyes and chuckled.

               Clarke laughed at the thought of Raven in a dress, after all, she had only seen her in her “move in day” outfit and her rugby gear. Her mind then travelled to what Lexa would wear to something like this. She could imagine her in tight khakis, a short sleeved button up, chinos, and with her hair tied back in a tight bun.

               “Will Lexa be there?” Clarke asked, trying not to sound overeager.

               “Ha, my sister is never one to miss a party. I swear, that girl can outdrink the entire men’s team. I’m definitely a proud big sister. Why do you ask though?” When Anya posed the question, she had a glimmer in her eye and Clarke thought she might be piecing things together. “Speaking of my sister, she was more smiley than usual last night. What do you know about that, Doc?”

               Clarke was grateful that Anya’s nickname for her wasn’t Princess, however she was unsure how to answer her question without blushing like a little girl. She could talk about how she too was a smiley mess after her afternoon and evening with Lexa but she did not want to get on Anya’s bad side, especially after hearing her spiel about the holy rule.

               “Oh, uh. Lexa and I, we just had a really good practice and then we grabbed dinner because it was dinner time once we had finished,” Clarke said, trying not to sound as nervous as she felt. “Lexa really helped me yesterday. I learned a lot about passing and tackling.”

               “Oh great. That’s awesome.” Anya sounded unimpressed with Clarke’s answer. “Yeah, she was really happy that you made the effort to meet and practice with her. That girl, I swear. She’s all rugby, all the time. She really likes you though, Clarke.”

               Clarke smiled and nervously stuffed the rest of her sandwich into her mouth as she tried to process what Anya had just told her. She finally was able to get her sandwich down. “Really? Did she tell you that?” Clarke was almost yelling.

               “Chill out, Doc, I think my dad heard you all the way in Australia.” Clarke blushed profusely. “But no, she didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to. Those little green eyes of hers get all wide when you’re mentioned at the house. It’s pretty funny actually.”

               Clarked gulped, unsure of what to say. “Yeah, well, that green-eyed monster scares the shit out of me,” was all she managed to get out.

               Anya laughed. “Good. That means I taught her well.”

               Clarke looked down at her phone and realized that if she wanted to make it to her class on time, she had to leave. She said her goodbyes to Anya and placed her tray on top of a garbage can.

//

               Clarke and Octavia made their way to the field at 6pm and as they approached the field, they saw Lexa standing next to a man who was two Lexa’s tall and three Lexa’s wide. 

               “Ah, glad that you guys came a little early,” Lexa said to the rookies. She turned to the man whom Clarke assumed was Coach Gustus. “Coach, this is Clarke and Octavia. They’re the girls that I told you about. Reyes scoped them out on move-in day.”

               “Great to meet you girls,” Coach Gustus said in a British accent as he shook Clarke and Octavia’s hands. “Lexa has told me all about you. It’s great to have you with us. We’re going to have a great season.”

               Clarke was relieved. She expected Coach Gustus to be a male version of Lexa. However she quickly realized that he was very laidback and chill. She expected his demeanor to change once practice began.

               She was correct, as Coach Gustus ran them harder than Lexa ever had. Clarke felt her legs burning as Gustus ordered them to do three more bowties. She looked to her left and saw that Lexa was hurting as well. No one was safe from Gustus’ wrath. After an intense beginning, Gustus slowed things down, not wanting the girls to be too sore before their scrimmage on Saturday.

They started running plays in game-time situations and Clarke was trying her hardest to keep up. She listened intently as Gustus and Lexa barked out orders. They were scrimmaging with full contact. The play started with Lexa passing out a ball to Anya, who was lined up next to her as fly half. As Indra came charging at Anya, she quickly got the ball off to Charlotte who was positioned at inside center. Charlotte immediately offloaded the ball to Monroe who was lined up next to her as outside center. This meant that Clarke was probably going to be the next one to get the ball. Monroe juked out Harper, and before Raven could catch her, she passed to Clarke, who had timed her run perfectly. Clarke caught the ball at good speed, like Lexa had taught her, and charged down the field. She was a few yards away from the try line and the only person that she had to beat was Ontari, who began to run at her hungrily. Clarke tried to juke out Ontari, but she was able to wrap her arms around Clarke’s stomach. Clarke was not going to let Ontari slow her down and mustered all of her strength, which resulted in her literally dragging Ontari with her to the try line. All of those squats and deadlifts that she did over the summer definitely paid off. Clarke leaned forward and touched the ball to the ground, which caused an uproar among her teammates.

               “Fuck yeah Griffin!” she overheard Raven say. Anya made her way over to Clarke and slapped her on the butt.

               “That’s what I like to see Doc. Well fucking done.”

               Clarke was on cloud nine. She had always been mediocre at soccer. She loved the sport but she was never _that_ good. Rugby was different though. It ignited something inside of her and it just got her going.  She looked over at Lexa who was nodding next to Coach Gustus, who seemed to be excitedly analyzing Clarke’s performance. Lexa noticed that Clarke was looking at her, and gave Clarke a small smile, along with a thumbs up.

               “Alright ladies. That’s it for today. Nothing better than to end practice on a good note. Great job, Clarke and great job Ontari for sticking with your man until the end. I am excited for what we will accomplish this year.” The team cheered. “Now, I know it’s Thursday and I know you’ve all had a stressful week adapting to the grind. I’m sure you’re all going to party hard tonight but I want to remind you to be safe. I don’t want anything happening to my girls.” The girls laughed at the coach’s enthusiasm regarding their drinking habits. Gustus turned to Lexa, “Anything you want to say, Commander?”

               “No, not presently. Great job everyone and don’t forget that the mixer starts at 10 at the boys house. Don’t forget to bring fives. I don’t want any of my girls free-riding. They have expenses just like we do.” The team cheered and dispersed into small groups, talking excitedly about what they were going to wear and how fucked up they were going to get. Lexa, who looked like she was about to say something to Clarke, quickly backed away and turned around when she saw Octavia slip her arm over Clarke’s shoulder.

               “Let’s go get ready!”

               Clarke and Octavia made their way back to their dorm. Each of them took showers and began to get dressed. As Clarke was putting on makeup in the bathroom, she saw Octavia walk in with a bottle of Absolut, a bottle of cranberry juice, and two plastic shot glasses.

               “Pre-game?” she said with a sly grin. Clarke was so blessed to have Octavia as a roommate. "Perks of having an older brother! Oh, and that reminds me! You’ll finally get to meet him tonight. Ugh. I’m so excited to meet some of the rugby guys. I always see them in Bellamy’s pictures. They’re so hot,” she said with heart eyes.

               Clarke smiled and took the shot with Octavia. The alcohol burned as it trickled down her throat, but she loved it. She took a long swig of the cranberry juice and looked over at Octavia. “Another?” she said with a grin.

               “You’re literally the best roommate in the world,” Octavia said as she poured them each another shot. It went down easier than the first and Clarke finished putting her make up on. She could feel an extra hop in her step as she walked back into the room. “Raven is going to pick us up in about 5 minutes and take us to the girl’s house. We’ll drink a little bit with them and then head over together. The boys house is right across the street.”

               Clarke nodded and looked at herself in her full-body mirror. She looked hot. She managed to get her leather leggings over her bruised legs. She loved these leggings because they hugged her curves and made her butt look great. She had worked hard for this body and had no problem showing it off. She was wearing a grey, loose fitting, low-cut top which highlighted what Clarke believed was her best asset, her boobs.

               “Damn girl, you trying to look good for L-l-l-l-lexa?” Octavia said, slurring her words on purpose.

               “As it so happens, Miss Blake, I am dressed for myself tonight. I don’t need to impress anyone.”

               “Alrighty there Gloria Steinem,” she said, rolling her eyes. Clarke watched Octavia’s eyes light up as she looked down at her phone. “Raven’s here,” she said, grabbing her stuff and heading out the door. Clarke quickly followed her and they found Raven, still in her practice uniform, waiting for them in her car.

               “Anya said that you would get dressed up for the occasion, but I didn’t expect this!” Clarke said jokingly.

               Raven laughed. “Don’t you worry Griffin, I haven’t even been home yet. I was too busy…” Raven trailed off in thought. “Planting some seeds for tonight, if you catch my drift.” Octavia and Clarke laughed in unison as Raven made her way to the rugby house. 

               Once in the house, Clarke and Octavia were greeted by Anya who led them to the living room and handed them red solo cups that were filled halfway with a dark liquid.

               “Drink up, rookies!” Anya said with a smile. “Don’t even worry about what’s inside this. I promise that it’s nothing that you girls can’t handle.”

               Clarke was about to protest however she turned to look at Octavia and realized that she was already nursing her cup. Clarke shrugged and took a sip. She was grateful that she pre-gamed the pre-game because whatever Anya had given them tasted like absolute garbage. Not wanting to seem like a wuss, Clarke figured that she should just chug whatever was in the cup. As she turned back her head to finish the drink, she heard someone approach her.

               “I should have known that you were a big drinker, Princess.” Clarke quickly brought her head forward and saw Lexa standing in front of her with a huge, dorky smile on her face. Clarke could tell that Lexa had been drinking. She had a different look in her eyes.

 Clarke almost spit out her drink when she realized that Lexa was wearing almost exactly what she had predicted. She was wearing tight khakis, a blue, patterned, short sleeve button down and brown chinos. Clarke, however, had not predicted that Lexa would be wearing her hair completely down. Her thick, brown hair was curled at the end and was pulled in front of her right shoulder. She also had a hoop nose ring on her right nostril. She looked hot.

               Clarke, trying to keep her composure, quickly looked over at Octavia. Octavia looked at Clarke, raised her eyebrows, and slowly disappeared into the kitchen. Clarke thought about how she was going to kill Octavia later.

“Y-you look great, Lexa. It’s weird to not see you in rugby clothes.”

Lexa laughed and Clarke realized that Lexa was checking her out. The two girls were face to face and Clarke thought that she noticed Lexa’s face redden when she looked at her breasts. She asked Lexa what she was drinking but received no response from the brunette, who seemed to be enamored with Clarke’s chest.

               “Well?” Clarke said expectantly.

               “Well, what?”

               “I asked you what you were drinking…”

“Oh, I usually only drink 7 and 7s.”

“What? But Seagram’s is an American whiskey. That’s not very Australian of you.” Clarke shoved Lexa’s shoulder playfully.

“Yeah, well. We haven’t been back in Australia since my mom ripped us away 10 years ago.”

Clarke instantly felt terrible. Things were about to get really emotional. She could feel it.

 “She’s American. She met our father when she studied abroad in Melbourne during college. They fell in love and she decided to stay. But she got tired of him spending too much time on the rugby pitch, and god knows what else, so she took Anya and me and brought us back to the U.S.” Lexa looked down and a scowl covered her face. “We haven’t seen our dad in 10 years. She just took us from him. He taught me everything I knew about rugby. That’s why I care about it so much. It’s all I have left of him. It’s how I can honor him.”

Clarke was speechless. She moved to sit next to Lexa and started to rub her back. “I’m sorry.” Lexa reached behind her and took Clarke’s hand into hers.

“It’s okay, Clarke. We are what we are. I’m studying IR to keep my mom happy but I have a bunch of money saved and once I graduate, I’m going back to Australia to be with my dad and coach rugby with him. It’s the only place that feels like home.”

Anya suddenly barged into the living room with a beautiful girl on her arm. After getting a better look, Clarke realized that the girl on Anya’s arm wearing a tight black dress and with sleek black hair was Raven.

“I hope we’re not interrupting anythingggggggggggg.” Anya was clearly drunk. “Hey little sis, why the long face?”

“Fuck off Anya.”

“Woo. Not so friendly tonight, are we.” Anya rolled her eyes. “Anyways, just wanted to let you know that it’s 10 and that we should head over. Bellamy just texted me to say that they were ready.”

Lexa stood up, adjusted her pants, and headed towards the kitchen. Clarke followed behind her, suddenly feeling responsible for the mood that the brunette was in. Once they got to the kitchen, Lexa turned to Clarke.

“What? What do you want? I don’t need a babysitter, Clarke. I’m fine. I’ve made peace with my past long ago. Just leave me alone.”

Clarke backed up with her hands in the air. She didn’t need this. She was going to find Octavia and get plastered.

She found Octavia standing outside with Ontari and Indra and the four of them made their way to the boy’s house across the street. To say that the boy’s house was disgusting was an understatement. Walking into the house was like walking into a locker room. As they made their way to the kitchen, Clarke watched all of the boys follow behind them like puppies.

“Bell!” Octavia exclaimed. Bellamy was standing in the kitchen and greeted his sister with a tight embrace.

“I can’t believe you’re doing this, O. Not that I’m surprised. From what Anya has told me, you’re a natural. I’d like to think that I’ve had something to do with that.”

Octavia wrapped her arms around her brother and popped him a few inches from the ground. This resulted in cheers from the boys that had gathered in the kitchen.

“Alright alright.” Clarke could tell that Bellamy was slightly embarrassed. He greeted Indra and Ontari but when he got to Clarke, he realized that he did not know her. “And you. You must be Clarke. Wow” He raised his eyebrows. “Octavia wasn’t lying when she said that you were beautiful.” He took Clarke’s hand into his and kissed it.

Clarke blushed, however most of her reaction was caused by the fact that Octavia had told her brother that she thought Clarke was beautiful. She smiled at Bellamy and thanked him for hosting the party.

“Of course! We love having the gals over. Here, let me introduce you to everyone.” He nodded towards the group of guys who had collected in the kitchen. “This is Lincoln, Murphy, Jasper, Monty, Finn, Miller, and Roan. There’s a bunch of other guys roaming around but this is the main crew. The guys smiled at Clarke and Octavia. The guy that Bellamy had introduced as Finn pulled Clarke aside and handed her a beer.     

               “So what’s a pretty girl like you doing playing rugby?” he said with a smile. His eyes were droopy and his breath smelled like beer.

               “Excuse me?” Clarke was about to slap him across the face. “Me being completely and utterly out of your league has nothing to do with my ability to play rugby.” Clarke scoffed and patted his shoulder. “Thanks for the beer, pal.”

               Clarke stormed into the living room and could feel her head pounding. She heard the boys in the kitchen yelling at Finn, calling him a fucking idiot.

               It took some time, but the party eventually got going. The boys had a solid audio system and they were blaring Fetty Wap’s latest single. Clarke was dancing with Octavia and by this time, she was completely wasted. Bellamy brought out the Bacardi and everyone started doing shots. She must have taken at least 4. Then, they started playing flip cup with beer, and that’s where Clarke lost herself. Anya and Raven joined the party, however Lexa had yet to make an appearance. Clarke didn’t have it in her to worry about Lexa, but she could not help but think about how she was doing. Raven was brushing up against Finn and Clarke realized that he must have been the boy that Raven had been “planting seeds” with earlier.

“Raven could do so much better than that asshole,” Clarke muttered to herself.

               Clarke and Octavia continued to dance, but she realized that Octavia kept gazing lustfully at one of the rugby boys. She remembered Bellamy introducing him as Lincoln. He was tall, bald and broad shouldered. His lack of hair highlighted the fact that he had a little bit of cauliflower ear, which instantly turned Clarke off. However, Octavia did not seem to mind as she deserted Clarke and made her way to where Lincoln was sitting. She took his hand and led him to the dance floor. Clarke watched as Octavia pulled Lincoln close. After being deserted by her best friend, Clarke turned around and headed back to the kitchen, hoping to find some water. She walked in on Raven and Finn making out on the counter.

               “Hey Griffin! Have you met Finn yet?”

               “Yes,” Clarke lamented. “Yes I have.” She turned around and grabbed a water bottle from above the fridge. She figured that the boys wouldn’t mind. She made her way back out to the dancefloor and started dancing with Anya and Ontari. She was having a great time. She was drunk but not too drunk and she felt like she belonged.

               Lexa finally made an appearance around midnight. She had a tall, blonde haired girl on her arm whom Clarke hadn’t seen before. Anya cheered and wrapped her arms around her little sister, who seemed as though she hadn’t stopped drinking since Clarke last saw her. She still seemed coherent, but Clarke could tell that something was off. Lexa seemed incredibly irritated at her blonde companion and would push her away any time she got close to her face. However, Lexa was still dancing with the girl, running her strong hands all over her body. Clarke could feel the jealousy building and it was almost too much for her to bear. She did not want to be jealous. She just wanted to enjoy herself. Anya must have noticed the tension and escaped to the kitchen, returning with her bottle of Jameson and some shot glasses. 

She handed the glasses to the teammates that surrounded them and as Clarke took the shot, she felt Lexa’s eyes on her. Clarke grabbed the handle from Anya and took a large swig. She didn’t want to feel anything anymore.

Lexa watched as Clarke chugged from the bottle. She threw her shot glass on the floor, took Clarke’s hand and began to dance around her. Clarke was entranced by Lexa’s movements. The girl definitely knew how to dance. She pulled Clarke close to her and Clarke could smell the whiskey on her breath and see a bead of sweat trickle down her forehead. The two danced for what Clarke thought was hours. Clarke felt as though they were the only two people in the room.

She looked into Lexa’s beautiful green eyes and thought that Lexa was about to kiss her when she suddenly felt Lexa pull back.

“I-I-I-I can’t. I’m sorry, Clarke,” she said as she grabbed her blonde date and ran out the door.

Clarke was unsure of what to do. Should she follow her? All Clarke wanted to do was kiss her. She had been waiting for her all night and she just looked so beautiful. Clarke gazed to her left where Octavia and Lincoln were locking lips. She could have sworn that she saw Monty and Jasper kissing as well. She was exhausted. The alcohol was starting to get to her. Her thoughts were hitting her like rapid fire. She hadn’t eaten anything after practice and she was regretting it. She could feel her stomach turn and she ran to the bathroom, thankful that Bellamy had pointed it out earlier. The last thing she remembered was finding a place on the couch to relax. She didn’t remember anything until she felt Raven and Octavia pull her up and drag her back to the girl’s house.

No one was in a state to drive home so Clarke and Octavia snuggled onto a bed that was pulled out of one of the couches. Octavia wrapped her arms around Clarke and started to play with her hair. Clarke felt calm in Octavia’s presence but wished more than anything to be in Lexa’s arms instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is an image of the positions in rugby!   
> https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Rugby_formation.svg/2000px-Rugby_formation.svg.png 
> 
> #1 rule --> passes must go backwards!! :) 
> 
> Important Rugby Terms:   
> Knock-on: when the ball is unintentionally knocked forward --> results in a scrum for the other team   
> Scrum: occurs after a minor penalty, the 8 forwards on each side bind to each other and push for possession of the ball   
> Ruck: what sometimes forms after a person is tackled; 1+ players from each team bind over the ball (kind of like a mini, unorganized scrum) to fight for possession of the ball; scrum half (Lexa) will usually play the ball out of the ruck unless they are the person tackled (Rucks can get dirty AF)  
> Line Out: what happens when the ball goes out of play; it's as if a soccer throw-in and a cheerleading routine morphed into one
> 
> Like I said, next chapter will have the scrimmage in it so it will be very technical. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!   
> Yay rugby, yay clexa :)


	4. Get Your Head in the Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Clarke plays in her first rugby game and her and Lexa have the ~talk~.

Clarke awoke to the sound of voices. Her head was pounding and she was parched. She had never had a hangover like this before, but then again, she never had a reason to drink the way she had the previous night. Her eyes fluttered and she slowly sat up.

“Good morning party-girl Griffin.”

“Octavia,” Clarke said, grabbing her head. “Not to be a total cliché, but what the fuck happened last night? The last thing I remember was passing out on the couch.”

“Dude.” Octavia started to laugh. “You were on the couch for like five seconds. All you needed was a quick power nap and then you were right back on the dancefloor. It was amazing to watch.”

Clarke felt her insides lurch. She had never been drunk to the point that she didn’t remember anything.

“It’s alright pal. It happens to the best of us. You have some apologizing to do though… Whenever Anya would get close to you, you’d tell her that Lexa was prettier than she was. Bellamy kept trying to dance with you and you kept telling him to back off because your _girlfriend_ was going to beat his ass. You also told Raven that Finn was a douche canoe and that he should go fuck himself.” Octavia couldn’t contain her laughter and fell back onto the bed.

Clarke was blushing hard core and really hoped that Anya hadn’t been offended by her drunk self. After all, Anya had been pretty fucked up too. However, she could honestly care less about Bellamy and what he thought of her. 

“Anyways, Raven, Anya, and I were going to go to the diner and get breakfast. You’re welcome to come!”

Clarke smiled, nodded and ran to the bathroom to wash her face and use some mouthwash. She knew that greasy food and coffee were what she needed to cure her hangover. She smelled like stale whiskey and body odor. Clarke figured that everyone at a college diner at 10am on a Friday morning would be in a similar state. She pulled her curly, blonde hair back into a ponytail and was startled when Raven barged into the bathroom.

“Lookin’ good, Champ. You were a fucking mess last night.” She patted Clarke on the back.

“I am so, so incredibly sorry for anything I said about Finn.”

“Griffin, don’t worry. Finn is a dim-witted asshole. I just hook up with him because he’s a good fuck and doesn’t ask any questions.” Clarke laughed. “By the way, as good as you look in your slept in outfit from last night, would you by any chance be interested in borrowing some sweats?”

“You are literally the best human being to walk this earth.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot.” She disappeared to her room and returned to the bathroom in seconds with a grey Arkadia Rugby sweatshirt and rugby shorts. Clarke quickly changed and met Octavia, Raven, and Anya outside.

“Large quantities of grease await us!” Raven yelled as she charged to her car.

The girls had a good time at the diner, recanting all of events from the previous night. Anya was not the least bit offended at Clarke’s drunken comments and said that their conversation about Lexa was the highlight of her evening. Clarke wondered where Lexa was now. She wondered if she had gone home with the girl at the party.

“So who was that girl at the party with Lexa?” Clarke asked, trying not to sound too interested. Octavia shot a glare at Clarke, which she responded to by shrugging her shoulders. Anya spoke up.

“Who knows,” she said with a chuckle. “I think she’s on the tennis team. My little sister always brings home the weirdest girls.”

Clarke nodded, accepting defeat.

“I’m so pissed she left early though. I didn’t even get a chance to tease her newest slam piece.” Clarke cringed at the word slam piece and wished that someone would slam her head against the ground. “Speaking of which,” Anya started, “Does anyone know why she left so soon? Did something happen? Did one of the boys say something? I went to get more shot glasses from the kitchen and when I came back she was gone.”

Octavia and Raven both looked at each other and then glared at Clarke. Clarke chugged her coffee nervously. They must have seen her dancing with Lexa. They must have seen them almost kiss.

“Who am I kidding?” Anya started to chuckle. “Clarke, you were off your ass and both Octavia and Raven were eating the faces of hunky rugby boys all night. I doubt you even noticed Lexa leave.”

The three girls looked at each other and nodded in unison. 

//

All Clarke wanted to do was sleep. As soon as she walked into her dorm, she collapsed face first on her bed. Her slumber was short lived as her phone began to buzz, which notified her that her mother was calling. She realized that she had not called her mom since she left, which made Clarke feel incredibly guilty. They sent a few texts back and forth, but Clarke definitely should have reached out earlier.

“Clarke! I hope this isn’t a bad time.” She could sense the excitement in her mother’s voice.

“No! I’m just relaxing. What’s up? How’s home?”

“It’s good. It’s so great to hear your voice, honey. I miss you. It’s just not the same here without you.” She could tell that her mom was on the verge of tears. Empty-nest syndrome was definitely setting in.

“I miss you too!” Clarke began to tell her mother all about her classes and professors. She told her about how great Octavia was and how the food at the cafeteria was questionable. When her mom asked about clubs, Clarke knew that she arrived at the conversation that she had been dreading. Clarke’s mom was a doctor and she had told Clarke many times about the dangers of contact sports.

“It’s funny that you ask that, Mom. I actually joined the rugby team with Octavia!” Clarke immediately cringed at the thought of what her mother was going to say.

“Oh! I definitely wasn’t expecting that. That’s…interesting. Are the girls nice?” Clarke could sense the hesitation in her mother’s voice.

“They’re great mom. Everyone’s great. I feel like I’ve found my people.”

“Well then that’s wonderful honey. Just, do me a favor and be careful. Don’t they wear those little hats? I can order you one.”

“A scrum cap? Mom, I’m not even in the scrum. I have no use for one of those.”

“Oh, well, that’s a relief. I feel like that’s the scariest part.”

Clarke smiled and continued talking to her mother about work and life at home for another 20 minutes.

After she hung up, Clarke realized that she had received two texts.

**Lexa: Can we talk? I’m on campus.**

**Lexa: I need to explain.**

Clarke read the texts over and over for about 10 minutes, grateful that she had her read receipts off.

**Clarke: Sure. Octavia won** ******’t be here for a couple hours. You’re welcome to swing by my room.**

As if she had been waiting just outside of her door, about one minute later, Clarke heard someone knock. She opened the door to find Lexa standing there in joggers and her Arkadia rugby jacket, with her hair pulled back in a messy bun. Clarke loved messy buns.

“Hey.” Lexa looked down.  

Clarke ushered her into her room and she told Lexa to sit on her bed. She pulled up her desk chair and sat across from the brunette, trying to read her face.

“I just-I wanted to apologize for yesterday. The last thing I want is to go into our scrimmage tomorrow with any sort of tension.”

Clarke was taken aback. “So this- this is all about rugby? You don’t want me to bail on the game? You’re not going to apologize because it’s the right thing to do? For fucking with my head? For pushing me away when I was trying to help you?” She was furious. If she didn’t love her teammates and the game so much, she totally would have backed out.

“That’s not what I meant, Clarke.” Lexa looked genuinely upset. “I’m sorry if that’s what it sounded like. It’s true that I want you to play with us tomorrow but this apology is more than that. I _do_ care about you and I know that my actions last night were less than noble. I’m sorry for pushing you away in the kitchen. Truth is, I haven’t accepted my past. It still haunts me every day. I miss my home. I miss him, Clarke. And then I think about you and your dad and I just-. I just get so angry.”

“Angry?” Clarke asked, as she got closer to Lexa.

“Yes, angry. It’s not fair. How some people walk around, so unaware of the suffering of others. They think that just because they have a perfect life, that nothing shitty is happening to anyone else. Some people just don’t understand. And I feel guilty because, yeah, I miss my dad but I can facetime him whenever I want. You, Clarke, you can never see him again. I don’t know if I could ever get through something like that.” Lexa began to tremble and Clarke instinctively put her hand on Lexa’s knee.

“Look, Lexa. Sure, there are a lot of people who don’t know suffering like we do. Pain really shapes who we are as people. Those who do not know it, just don’t get people like us. We have to do things in order to survive that they can never hope to understand. And while I obviously am not grateful for the trauma that I’ve endured in my life, it is what has shaped me as a person. You don’t ease pain, you overcome it.”

Lexa was taken aback by Clarke’s words. She fell forward into Clarke, wrapping her arms around her torso. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Clarke was rubbing Lexa’s back when she heard the door knob turn. Lexa quickly jolted back, similar to what she had done the night before.

Octavia walked into the room, oblivious to the emotional exchange that had just occurred. “Oh-sorry, Clarke. I should have texted you that I was heading back. I can leave…”

Lexa cut her off. “It’s fine, Octavia. I was just leaving. See you girls at the game tomorrow.” Lexa smiled at the roommates and walked out of the door.

Octavia’s eyes got wide once Lexa left. “Okay, spill.”

//

 The scrimmage started at 10am but the girls were instructed to be there 2 hours early to help set up. When Clarke and Octavia got to the field, only Lexa and Coach Gustus were there. Lexa was in total game mode. She had black war paint smeared intricately around her eyes and her hair was tied in a tight bun. Clarke didn’t say anything but she thought that Lexa looked like a cute raccoon. They exchanged an awkward smile.

“Where’s everybody else?” Octavia asked Lexa.

“Well, Blake Jr., as captain of this squad, I definitely do not condone hazing, but as you two are our only rookies, you are tasked with setting up the field. The rest of the team should get here in about 45 minutes.

Octavia stared at Lexa and looked like she was going to maul her to the ground. Clarke noticed Gustus was chuckling to himself.

“Relax tiger,” Lexa said, clearly feeding off Octavia’s anger. “I had to do the same thing when I was a rookie. It’s only fair.”

Clarke yanked Octavia toward the pile of goal post padding and paint. The rookies, under Lexa’s guidance, set up the field. When the rest of the team showed up 45 minutes later, Clarke and Octavia were almost finished.

“Looking good ladies!” Anya yelled.

Clarke looked up at Anya and laughed. She noticed that Anya was wearing the same war paint as her sister.

“Must be an Australian thing.” Clarke thought to herself.

Clarke and Octavia finished lining the field and quickly joined their teammates who were already warming up. Clarke turned at the sound of a bus pulling up to the field and watched as a group of 20 girls hopped out of the bus which was adorned with a graphic that read “Mount Weather State”. Some of the girls were about the size of Clarke but the others were fucking enormous. Clarke knew that this was not going to be easy.

“Don’t worry, Princess.” Lexa must have sensed Clarke’s worries. She walked up to her and pulled her aside. “Most of those big girls won’t make it out to the wings. Leave them to the forwards. Besides, you can out run all of them any day.” She put her arm around Clarke and squeezed her shoulder. “I’ll be looking out wide to hit you with a long ball like we practiced. Let’s fucking do this.” Clarke was grateful that Lexa had pulled her aside. Her positive words soothed her.

The two sides continued warming up and as it got closer to game time, a sizable crowd started to form. Arkadia did not have a football team, so rugby was actually a pretty big deal. The entire men’s team was there, as they were also playing a scrimmage against Mount Weather State after the girls. Clarke made eye contact with Bellamy and gave him a polite wave. He looked too much like his sister for Clarke to ever find him attractive.

The sir met with the captains from each side and before Clarke knew it, the commander was rounding up her squad. She gave out the starting line up: For the forwards, Harper and Maya at prop, Echo at hooker, Indra and Ontari locking, Reyes and Blake at flanker, and Emori at 8 man. For the backs, Lexa at scrum half, Anya at flyhalf, Monroe at inside center, Charlotte at outside center, and Clarke at right wing. Fox was on the left side wing and Niylah at fullback. After receiving the lineup, the team quickly grabbed the jerseys that corresponded with their positions.

“Any questions?” The team shook their heads and started to jump around the commander.

Clarke watched as a gear switched in Lexa’s head. Her eyes got dark. She was ready. It was game time.

“Are you guys ready to FUCK shit up?” Lexa yelled.

Her team roared in response.

“I love each and every one of you with all of my heart. It’s time that we show Mount Weather State a lesson. They can’t come to our pitch and think that they can walk away with an easy win. Let’s show them what we can do!”

The team shouted and Clarke felt ready. She was nervous but adrenaline was pumping through her body. She wanted to fuck shit up.

“Together, on three! Ready? 1-2-3…”

“TOGETHER!” the team roared in unison.

Arkadia’s starting 15 took the pitch. Clarke felt her nerves tighten as she took her spot next to Charlotte. They were kicking first, so the team was lined up in a flat line behind Niylah who had the ball in her hands.

“Who wants this first hit, guys?” Anya yelled.

The sir blew the whistle, and the game began. Niylah’s kick soared into the air and everyone charged towards the ball. The ball went about 30 meters, landing in the hands of one of the Mount Weather girls, who was parallel with Fox on the left. Clarke watched as Fox got low and brought the girl to the ground. Indra and Ontari followed suit, as a ruck was formed over Fox and the girl that she tackled. Clarke had only seen rucks in practice, when the girls were not really giving 100%. However, it was game time and Clarke watched as Indra and Ontari completely destroyed the Mount Weather State girls. It was ruthless and dirty and Clarke fed off of the intense energy.

Arkadia formed a flat, horizontal line behind the ruck. The girl who Fox tackled must have been new, because when she went down, she did not release the ball. This was something that Lexa would always highlight in practice. A penalty was called and as Mount Weather scrambled to get back 10 meters, Lexa had already tapped the ball against her foot and was making her way down field. Her speed was incredible. Mount Weather State was completely taken by surprise and Lexa crossed the try line, touching the ball down between the goalposts with ease. She was clearly someone who knew the game well and knew how to take advantage of players that were just learning the rules. The crowd roared as Lexa threw her fist in the air.

Raven ran down the field with Lexa and was the first person to pat her on the back. Anya was right behind her and slapped her sister on the butt. Clarke, who was close to midfield, made eye contact with Lexa and winked at her. Clarke could tell that Lexa blushed despite all of the warpaint that the commander had on her face.

The team joined up in the center and everyone congratulated Lexa on her try. As the team huddled together, Lexa put her arm around Clarke and Clarke could have sworn that she felt Lexa caress her shoulder. Gustus was beaming. Niylah lined up to take the extra point and because Lexa had touched it down between the posts, it was a chip shot. 7-0 Arkadia.

The early lead had Arkadia hyped, but they knew that the game was far from over. The Mount Weather kicker put the ball back into play and the game resumed. Indra caught the ball and sprinted down field. She offloaded the ball to Ontari who was standing right next to her. Ontari took a hit from one of Mount Weather’s biggest girls and laid motionless on the ground as Indra and Harper rucked over her. There was so much noise. Some girls were grunting like animals while others were yelling at their teammates to make sure that they were in the right position. Clarke was starting to get overwhelmed. Lexa was able to secure the ball and passed the ball out to Raven who was coming towards her with speed. Raven broke a few tackles, gaining about 10 meters and then passed the ball to Octavia. Her nerves must have gotten the best of her because as soon as she saw one of the Mount Weather girls charge at her, she threw the ball a few feet behind her.

Mount Weather was able to recover the ball and complete a few phases. The ball kept going back and forth between Arkadia and Mount Weather. Lexa was constructively giving her team orders, telling them to clean up their playing style. Clarke was enamored with the way that she dominated on the pitch. Multiple penalties were called on either side and it seemed as though no one was getting anywhere. Clarke was all alone on the wing and felt as though the ball would never get to her. So far, this was a game that was mostly played by the forwards. This went on for about 15-20 minutes until Emori fumbled the ball. 

The Arkadia girls scrambled for the ball but unfortunately one of the Mount Weather girls was able to get there first. She started her run at about half field However, when she passed the ball off to one of her teammates, the girl fumbled the ball, knocking it forward.

“Sir, that’s a knock!” Clarke heard Lexa yell in her adorable accent.

The sir blew her whistle and called a knock-on and a scrum to Arkadia. Lexa cheered and helped to organize the scrum. The two sides scrummed down, with Harper, Maya, and Echo in front, binding with the Mount Weather State girls.

“Crouch…Bind…Set…”

Clarke, who was lined up deep with Charlotte on her left, watched as Lexa touched the ball above the scrum and carefully threw it beneath the grunting girls. Arkadia’s scrum was strong and Echo was able to kick the ball back through the scrum. As the ball exited the scrum, Lexa ran to it and quickly passed it out to Anya before Mount Weather’s scrum half had the chance to tackle her. Lexa played with such composure and ease that Clarke couldn’t help but marvel at her.  

Anya ran forward with the ball but was annihilated by one of Mount Weather’s forwards. Clarke was distracted and wanted to help her friend but quickly realized that Charlotte now had the ball and was about to go into contact.

“Charlotte! Here! You got me!” Clarke yelled at the top of her lungs. Charlotte was able to pass the ball off to Clarke and she caught it with speed. Clarke blew past the two Mount Weather girls who tried to tackle her. She could see the try line was only 40 meters away and she didn’t plan on stopping until she got there. She was running along the sidelines, which she knew was risky. If one of Mount Weather’s girls pushed her out, they would get a line out. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of Mount Weather’s bruisers coming for her. This girl might have been big, but she also had legs like a horse. Instead of going low, which was impossible because this girl was probably six feet tall, she grabbed Clarke around her shoulders and neck and twisted her head, throwing her out of bounds by her hair.

Clarke knees buckled and she landed face first in the dirt. Pain surged throughout her entire body, mostly focused on her head and hairline. No one had ever grabbed and ripped her hair like that before. Her neck and head were already throbbing. As she tried to get up, she could hear Gustus yelling at the top of his lungs.

 “Sir! That’s a fucking high tackle. What the fuck?”

Clarke, still on her stomach, felt hands rubbing her shoulders, asking if she was okay. Octavia was there because she could hear her cursing up a storm. But nothing prepared her for the category five hurricane that was about to hit.

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU PLAYING AT? YOU FUCKING ATTACK HER AND YOU ATTACK ME.”

Clarke couldn’t see what was happening but she knew that Lexa was taking care of business. She said a series of other things that Clarke couldn’t make out but figured that they weren’t very nice. Clarke was surprised. Lexa hadn’t reacted like this when Anya got hit. She guessed it just wasn’t as dirty. Lexa must have tried to lunge at the girl because Clarke heard gasps in the crowd, followed by Anya telling Lexa that the brute wasn’t worth it.

The sir was making her way over to the other side of the feel to observe the mess. Luckily she was not there to overhear Lexa’s expletives and threats. After calming down, Lexa walked over to her.

“Sir, you have to put her in the sin bin for that. She blatantly grabbed her neck and threw her out of bounds by her hair. If that’s not a blatant and excessive high tackle, I don’t know what is.”

The sir nodded, putting up a yellow card and sending the girl to the sin bin. The crowd cheered as the girl made her way to her team’s try line.

Clarke finally rolled onto her back and felt someone’s hands on her forehead, wiping away the dirt. In the softest voice she had ever heard, Lexa said, “Why is it that I’m always wiping dirt off of you? Are you okay?”

She opened her eyes to see Lexa standing over her, smiling, but looking worried.

“I’m fine, Commander. Thank you for backing me up. Now go back out there and finish what we started.”

Lexa nodded, lightly caressed Clarke’s cheek, and went back out onto the field. It was almost half-time so Clarke had no problem sitting out for a bit. She was in pain but it was not enough to keep her from playing the second half.

After a quick pep talk from Gustus and Lexa, the team was ready to go back out onto the pitch. The score was still 7-0, with Arkadia in the lead.

Clarke went back out onto the field with a vengeance.

The second half started and Clarke was ready. She had a few good runs throughout the half but nothing ever came of them. The two teams kept turning over the ball and Clarke was able to make a few good tackles. Lexa was playing brilliantly. She was all over the pitch. If she wasn’t making a brilliant tackle, she was digging through the ruck and getting the ball out. Octavia was also having an impressive game. She did not let her mistake in the first half get to her head and was making crazy tackles off the scrum and in the open field. Bellamy was beside himself on the sidelines. He was definitely his sister’s number one fan.

“That’s my sister!!!!” He would yell.

Everything was going pretty well for Arkadia until a poorly formed ruck resulted in Mount Weather poaching the ball and running it in for a try. Their kicker was able to make the extra point and the score was 7-7.

After the try, Arkadia met under their goalposts and Lexa tried to rile them up.

“This game is far from over, girls. We have 5 minutes and we better fight until the fucking end.”

The team cheered and Clarke felt a new burst of energy throughout her body. They could do this. She could feel it.

Niylah kicked the ball and it soared into the air. Like a cheetah, Octavia sprinted down the field, using her height to jump and secure the ball. She was quickly tackled, but Indra and Ontari followed her and were able to form a clean ruck over her as she placed the ball. Lexa secured the ball and passed it out to Harper, who had formed a pod with Echo and Maya. The three girls gained substantial yards, bouncing off the Mount Weather girls and running down through the middle of the pitch. When Maya got caught in a tackle, Echo and Harper rucked over her and Lexa was able to get to the ball again. Clarke was running at a decent pace and when Lexa got the ball, she knew what was going to happen. The Mount Weather girls thought that Lexa was going to send the ball down the line, but instead she sent a long ball to Clarke.

Clarke caught the ball and she darted off towards the try line. She felt it. She was not afraid of any girl that was going to grab her by the hair. She shrugged off defender after defender, stiff arming girls in the face and chest. When she was a few meters in front of the try line, she felt someone wrap around her and try to pull her back. She locked her cleats into the ground and pushed forward, similar to what had happened in practice. This time, the girl’s strength began to overpower Clarke’s. The try line that was once in reach was getting further and further away. Clarke was afraid that she had blown it. She could see Lexa in the back of her mind. She thought about how she smiled at Clarke so softly after chewing out someone’s ass only moments before. She could hear yelling and cheering coming from every angle. She thought about her dad and he gave her the strength to push forward, breaking the tackle of the girl who had hold on her. Clarke leaned forward, touched the ball down, and heard the sir blow her whistle. She had done it.

The next thing Clarke knew, she was being lifted in the air by Lexa, her green eyes beamed as she cheered. Clarke looked down at Lexa and when their eyes met, she just knew. She knew that she had it bad. Lexa put her down and embraced her.

“I fucking knew you could do it,” she whispered into Clarke’s ear, sweetly.

After Niylah attempted the extra point, which she missed, the sir blew the final whistle. Arkadia had won 12-7. The team piled onto Clarke, whose legs were aching after that final play.

There was so much going on. So many teammates were coming up to her and congratulating her. She was overwhelmed. She was so elated that she completely missed everything that was being said during Gustus’ post game talk. She didn’t hear Lexa praise everybody’s efforts. Clarke was in another world and she was happy.

// 

“Yo, Doc definitely has to shoot the boot.” Anya said. Everyone cheered. The girls were back at their house with the boys team. They stuck around for their game and watched them annihilate Mouth Weather State 40-5. Both teams had reasons to celebrate so they ordered a keg and enough pizza to feed an army. Normally the other teams would be invited to hang out, drink, and eat, but after the way that the games went today, there was no way that it would have ended well.

“What does shoot the boot mean?” Clarke said innocently.

“Shoot the boot, Griffin, is when you chug beer out of your sweaty cleat!” Raven said with a sly grin. “You have to do it! After all, you scored your first try today!

Clarke did not know what to say. She watched in horror as Anya went into her bag and pulled out Clarke’s sweaty, dirty cleat and poured beer in it. Clarke could feel the pizza churning in her stomach. Octavia was sitting on Lincoln’s lap and was cackling at what Clarke was about to endure.

Everyone started to chant in unison. Clarke couldn’t make out what they were saying but it all sounded like some kind of inside joke that she wasn’t a part of. Anya handed Clarke one of her pink, Nike cleats and as she put it close to her face, she was mortified at the smell. After her many years of soccer, she knew what cleats smelled like after 90 minutes of grinding.

Clarke gagged and slowly brought the shoe to her mouth, tipped it back, and chugged the contents. Once she got past the smell, it wasn’t too bad. Everyone cheered as Clarke put down her shoe and smiled. She could feel the foam on her upper lip, which only caused her to smile more. Attention was diverted from Clarke when Raven drunkenly started yelling about doing zulus. Clarke had no idea what it meant but from the guy’s reactions, she could only imagine.

Lexa, who had been watching the entire thing, walked up to Clarke and handed her a napkin. The two had been inseparable since the end of the game.

“Can we go somewhere else?” Lexa whispered into Clarke’s ear. They had both been drinking beers for hours and were pretty tipsy.

Clarke nodded and followed Lexa up the stairs to the second floor. Lexa lead her to a room at the end of the hallway. She opened the door and told Clarke that she could sit on the bed.

Lexa’s room was exactly how Clarke imagined. It was immaculate. One wall was completely covered by an Australian flag. The other three walls were scattered with rugby posters and posters of female musicians. Her tables and desks were littered with candles and the room smelled of lavender and vanilla.

“Home sweet home,” Lexa said with a fake laugh.

Clarke sat on the bed and looked up at Lexa. “So, what do you think would have happened if Octavia hadn’t interrupted us yesterday?”

Lexa turned pink. She had washed off the majority of her war paint but her face still had a blackish tint. She looked down. This was the first time that Clarke had seen her at a loss for words.

“You can talk to me Lexa. I’m here. I’m here to listen and to try and understand.”

“I just, from the moment that I first saw you, I was instantly drawn to you. When you waved at Raven on move in day, I just. I don’t know. She told me that she wanted to recruit you guys and it scared me because I knew that if you played, I could never have you. I just, I felt like you were someone that was sent from the sky or something.  Someone that I had to get to know. I don’t know. Ugh I’m an idiot.” Lexa sat down next to Clarke with her head in her hands.

Clarke was amazed that Lexa remembered her.

“I remember you on that day too,” Clarke laughed. “I thought you were hot.”

Lexa looked up at Clarke and laughed, despite the tears rolling down her cheek. Clarke gently put her hand on Lexa’s cheek and brushed away the tears that fell.

“And then, ugh. You joined the team and I was so excited to have the chance to get to know that I forgot the _stupid_ rule that I made and I just hated myself. I hated myself for having this uncontrollable attraction to you. I hated myself for letting Costia effect my life in ways that I don’t want to admit. I thought that maybe if I was extra hard on you that you wouldn’t want to play but the more I pushed you, the more you pushed back.”

Lexa was trembling.

“It just all happened so quickly, Clarke, and you have to understand that I tried so hard to stay strong and to brush it off. I brought that girl to the party because I thought maybe she could distract me from you. I convinced myself that it would ruin everything and it would be like Costia all over again. I saw you as just another weakness.”

Clarke felt a little hurt at Lexa’s words, but realized that the brunette had to get this stuff off of her chest.

“But then,” Lexa continued, “Then I saw that girl hit you today and I just got so angry. I got so over-protective. I’ve never felt like that about anyone Clarke. Not even my sister, not Costia. I felt like I needed to keep you safe. I know you can take a hit, Clarke, but the moment that girl committed that foul on you, I couldn’t keep it in any longer. I needed to act on my feelings because if I didn’t, they were going to eat me alive.”

“I can take a hit, Lexa. The pain that I felt on the field today was nothing compared to what I felt when you pushed me away. It was nothing compared to the way my heart ached when I saw you with that other girl.”

Clarke could tell that her words had hurt Lexa but they were something that she needed to hear.

“I’m sorry, Clarke. I should-I should just leave you alone.”

Clarke had never seen Lexa’s green eyes so soft.

Lexa got up to leave, but Clarke stood up and grabbed her arm, lightly pulling her so that they were face to face.

Sad and defeated green eyes briefly met hers before Clarke cupped Lexa’s cheek, leaned forward and kissed her.

It was a brief kiss but it was filled with meaning.

The two girls pulled apart and made eye contact. Clarke could see that Lexa was crying. Her expression was filled with longing and passion. She had never seen the commander so small, so fragile. All she wanted to do was to kiss her again. She wanted Lexa to know how much she cared for her.

Clarke leaned in again and her mouth was quickly met by Lexa’s. This kiss was longer. It was hungrier. It was different. The first one was filled with nerves and uncertainty. This one, however, was filled with passion and softness.

Clarke could feel her lips buzzing with excitement. It almost felt as if there was an electric current jolting through her body. Lexa wrapped her strong arms around Clarke’s waist and pulled her closer. Clarke fell into Lexa’s embrace, their lips only parting so they could take in air. Clarke ran her tongue along Lexa’s bottom lip which only made Lexa hold her closer.

Clarke had never felt this before. She had obviously been with other people but never had she felt this sense of closeness and familiarity while kissing somebody for the first time. It was a peculiar feeling and she decided to put it in the back of her mind. All she could think about now was how amazing it felt to have Lexa’s lips against hers. She felt like she was floating in space. Kissing Lexa was like an out of body experience and Clarke did not want to come back down to earth. 

They heard the front door slam and heard the boys yelling downstairs. This caused Lexa to pull back nervously.

They were still standing in the safety of her room, a place where they could be themselves and not worry about what any outside forces or rules could do to them.

Lexa looked into Clarke’s eyes and pulled her in once more. This kiss, like the first, was very quick, but was bursting with emotion. A piece of Clarke’s hair had fallen out of her ponytail and Lexa quickly put it behind her ear.

“You’re so beautiful, Clarke.”

Clarke blushed and was about to say something when they heard the front door slam again, followed by a collection of gasps and cheers.

Lexa took Clarke by the hand and brought her over to the window. As the pair looked outside, Clarke could that a group of people had formed in front of the door. Raven was standing in the grass in front of house and was taking off her sweatshirt when Lexa said, “Good god. Here we go again. Reyes loves to zulu…even when she doesn’t score…”

Clarke looked at Lexa in confusion. She had heard Raven mentioning a zulu before but hadn’t asked what it was.

“What’s a—”

Out of the corner of her eye, Clarke saw Raven running laps around the house completely naked. Clarke had to hand it to her though, she looked great doing it.

“Oh my—”

Lexa laughed uncontrollably as Raven waved her arms and ran around the perimeter of the house. Clarke had never seen Lexa in such a state before and it made her feel warm inside.

Anya was standing in front and would high five Raven every time she did a lap around the house. All of the guys were outside yelling and singing rugby songs. Clarke wanted to go downstairs and get in on the action but she felt Lexa’s hand brush against her arm.

Clarke looked at the brunette and smiled, kissing her on the cheek.

“Clarke—“ Lexa began.

She looked at Lexa, whose deep green eyes seemed to be trying to tell her something. 

“Clarke we can’t do this. But I also can’t not do this. I just—I know it might sound selfish but I really just want to be with you.”

“That doesn’t sound selfish, Lexa. I want to be with you too. I know there’s a rule against us dating but… what if we’re just spending time with each other? Like, I feel like I don’t really know you outside of rugby and those few conversations we had.”

Lexa was listening intensely.

 “I want to know you, Clarke. I want to spend time with you. I want to know your favorite color and your favorite smell and what makes you tick. I want to know everything that you’re willing to tell me.”

Clarke smiled. She was happy that they were on the same page.

“What do you say we spend the day together tomorrow? You’re going to be really sore from the game. I know a place where we can go, relax and talk and not be bothered.”

“I would really like that, Lexa.”

Clarke got close to Lexa and the two kissed once more before heading downstairs and joining in on a verse of “Jesus can’t play rugby”.

The night was filled with rugby songs and ridiculous, beer induced conversations. Clarke was deep in a dispute with Anya about whether French Bulldogs or English Bulldogs were cuter. Lexa was watching, smiling at the interaction between Clarke and her sister. Clarke made eye contact with Lexa and raised her eyebrow, smiling ever so slightly.  Clarke felt so at peace with her team. The adrenaline from her try and from the kisses with Lexa caused her to feel as though she was completely and utterly immune from anything that the world tried to throw at her. She knew that this was where she was meant to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Lots of emotions went into this chapter. I hope you all liked it. 
> 
> If anyone needs any clarifications on the rugby stuff, feel free to reach out! 
> 
> Thanks again for all of the support!


	5. Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Clarke and Lexa have lots of alone time. ~~~~~

“So, are you going to tell me what happened yesterday or not?” Octavia said as they laid in their beds on Sunday morning. “I can understand if you don’t want to talk about it but Lexa was way too bubbly last night for something to not have happened between you two.”

Clarke turned red. She did not know what to say.

“Don’t worry, Clarke. Your secret is safe with me. I just want to see you happy. I’d never do anything to jeopardize that.”

“Really?”

“Of course! I mean I told you on Friday, Raven and I both knew that something was going on because we saw you two lovebirds at the mixer on Thursday. Now tell me all the juicy details. Is she a good kisser?” Octavia winked.

Clarke threw her pillow across the room and hit Octavia on the head.

“You bitch! I might just have to text Anya right now!” Octavia joked.

Clarke laughed and checked her phone.

**Lexa: Good morning** **J** **Pick you up in an hour? Wear something comfortable.**

**Clarke: Sounds perfect. Do I need to bring anything?**

**Lexa: Nope, just you and your sass.**

**Clarke: Yes ma’am, commander ma’am.**

**Lexa: Watch it, princess. (:**

 

Lexa picked up Clarke about an hour later. She pulled up in front of Clarke’s dorm. Clarke had been standing outside for at least 20 minutes because she didn’t want Lexa to have to wait. It was an unseasonably warm so Lexa had the top off her jeep. Clarke approached the car to find Lexa rocking out to Paramore’s sophomore album, wearing rounded sunglasses, a grey v neck and khaki shorts that showed off her bruised and battered legs. Her hair was in a messy, low bun and she was wearing a tropical pattered snapback. Clarke couldn’t get over how beautiful she looked in the simplest of outfits.

“Hello Clarke,” Lexa said with a smile.

Clarke was wearing a deep cut white v-neck and black shorts. She watched Lexa’s eyes get wide when she realized how low cut her shirt was.

Lexa’s reaction caused Clarke to chuckle.

“What?”

“Oh, nothing,” Clarke said as she slowly brought her arms together, which in turn pushed her breasts together.

“Clarke—” Lexa furrowed her brow.

“So where are we going?” Clarke smiled knowingly, throwing her bag into the back seat, changing the subject, and relaxing her arms.

Lexa pursed her lips and faced the road.

“You’ll see.”

 After ten minutes of driving though the beautiful country that surrounded Arkadia, Clarke grabbed Lexa’s idle right hand and interlaced their fingers. Lexa beamed and quickly glanced at Clarke before returning her eyes to the road. 

Lexa turned off the main road and started to drive on a dirt road. It was almost as if they were winding up a mountain. They continued for about 20 minutes before reaching a small clearing. She put the car into park and hopped out. Clarke followed suit and grabbed her drawstring back from the backseat.

The girls walked in a comfortable silence for about 10 minutes until Lexa stopped and put her things down.

Clarke was mesmerized. It was one of the most beautiful things that she’d ever seen.

 The clearing was covered with bunches of purple wild flowers and was surrounded by mountains as far as Clarke could see.

“Lexa—This…it’s beautiful.”

“I know.”

“How did you find it?”

“Well, there were a lot of times last year where I just wanted to be alone. I didn’t want anyone to see me or to get into my head so I would just come here.”

Clarke looked over at Lexa, whose eyes were lost in the mountains.

“Thank you for bringing me here.”

Clarke stood behind Lexa and wrapped her hands around her waist, putting her head on her shoulder. Lexa fell into Clarke’s embrace and the two started out into the distance. Clarke thought about what Lexa said yesterday about wanting to know more about her.

“My favorite color is green. I hate it when people assume that my blonde hair makes me weak. And as of recently, my favorite smell is an interesting balance of lavender and vanilla.”

Lexa turned around, tucked Clarke’s hair behind her ear, and kissed her gently.

“Thank you.” She said with a smile.

Lexa grabbed a blanket from her bag. She laid it out on a patch of grass and sat down. She motioned for Clarke to come and sit next to her but Clarke jumped on top of Lexa, knocking her onto her back.

“Clarke…please” Lexa grimaced.

She looked sensually at Lexa but realized that she was hurting her.

“Oh shit—Lexa I’m so sorry.” She quickly rolled off her and ruffled her blonde curls nervously.

“It’s okay…” Lexa laughed. She slowly rolled up her shirt to reveal a large bruise that covered her ribcage. “See! Look what you did…” Lexa pouted.

Clarke was distracted by Lexa’s toned stomach. She just wanted to run her hands all over her body.

“Fuck...” was all that Clarke was able to say.

“I’m joking, Clarke…” Lexa clearly missed that Clarke wasn’t really talking about the bruise that covered her ribs. “It’s from the game yesterday. Fucking bitches.”

Clarke snapped out of her trance and actually looked at the bruise. It was awful.

“Are you sure something’s not broken?” Clarke said as she ran her fingers lightly along the bruise.

“Not sure. I’ve broken some of these ribs before so probably.”

Clarke loved how Lexa brushed off broken ribs like they were not a big deal.

Lexa stared into blue sky as Clarke continued to trace around the bruise.

“My favorite color is blue. I hate opening up to people and as of recently, my favorite smell is strawberries and champagne.”

Clarke blushed. Strawberries and Champagne by Victoria’s Secret was the perfume that she wore every day.

Clarke settled in and laid down. She gazed up at the sky and then turned to the beautiful girl next to her.

“Tell me more,” she said eagerly.

“What do you want to know?” Lexa said softly.

Clarke was silent for a second, trying to sift through the thousands of things that she wanted to know about Lexa.

“What is your happiest memory?”

Lexa did not even need time to think.

“When I was 6, my dad played in the State of Origin Series. My mom met him while she was in Melbourne but he’s originally from Brisbane so he was playing for the Queensland Maroons.”

Clarke was unsure of what the State of Origin Series was nor was she familiar with Australian geography. She just smiled and told herself that she would google it later.

“I was in the stands with Anya and our grandfather, who had played on the Australian national team when he was young. Our mom didn’t like to come to games.”

She trailed off, obviously upset over mentioning her mother.

“But anyway, my dad…my dad scored the winning try during that game and I just remember him looking up at the stands and smiling at me. I remember hugging Anya and our grandfather and just feeling so much pride. There’s no words to describe how special that moment was for me…” She trailed off and Clarke could tell that her eyes were tearing up.

“Hey, hey. It’s okay. Thank you for sharing that with me. That was really special.” Clarke propped herself on her elbow and took Lexa’s hand into hers.

“What about you?”

Clarke had to think. She remembered the picture of her father on her desk.

“I don’t know if I have a singular memory. I just—whenever my dad would bring me to Arkadia and we would go hiking or just walk around campus. Those are some of my happiest memories. I feel like that’s what drew me to Arkadia most. I never wanted those memories to disappear.”

Now Clarke was crying too.

Lexa sat up, leaned over, and gently kissed Clarke. She pulled back, and Clarke looked into her calm, protective, green eyes.

They laid back down and Lexa buried her head into Clarke’s shoulder. Clarke stroked the small, curly hairs on the back of Lexa’s neck.

 

The girls talked for hours as they soaked up the sunlight. Clarke was surprised how easily everything flowed. She knew that it was cliché but she felt like she had known Lexa her entire life. She was so easy to talk to and Clarke _loved_ getting under her skin.

“So you mean to tell me that blooming onions aren’t a thing in Australia?” Clarke said with a giggle.

“No.” Lexa said with her teeth gritted. “They definitely are not.”

Clarke smiled and planted a kiss on the girls’ lips.

“You’re really cute what you’re angry, commander.”

Lexa nudged Clarke and kissed her on the cheek.

“This is really nice, Clarke. Spending time with you is really great. It’s usually really hard for me to connect with people...but you, you’re different.”

Clarke sat up.

“Look, Lexa,” she started. She could tell that Lexa sensed her nerves. Lexa sat up as well and looked at her with empathy. “I really like this. I really want to keep doing this because it really feels right and it means a lot to me. You mean a lot to me. As of now, I don’t mind not telling people and I don’t mind keeping us a secret. But I don’t know how long that is going to last…” She trailed off.

“I know.” Lexa looked down. “I’m sorry.”

“No, no. You don’t have to be sorry. The rule that you made, it’s a good rule. Stuff like this gets messy and you don’t want it to effect the team. But I just—I just think that what we have is special, Lexa, and I don’t know if you can feel it, but I can.”

At this point, Lexa was essentially sitting on Clarke’s lap with her arms and legs wrapped around her like a koala.

“I feel it too.”

She nuzzled her head into the crook of Clarke’s neck.

“What do you want me to do, Clarke?”

“I think we just keep doing what we’re doing now and just get to know each other. We don’t have to rush into anything or slap labels on it, not yet. But just know that I’m definitely not interested in being with anybody else and I would be really really crushed if you were.”

Lexa looked at Clarke.

“Only you, Clarke.” Lexa tucked a piece of hair behind Clarke’s ear and rested their foreheads together. Clarke couldn’t help but smile.

It started to get dark and the girls decided that they should head back to school. They both had early classes and had some homework that they needed to finish. Lexa dropped Clarke off in front of her dorm, but not before kissing her goodbye.

Clarke didn’t quite understand it but she kind of liked the whole sneaking around thing. It made it kind of exciting. Sure, it was not ideal but it was what they had to work with. Clarke really liked Lexa. She liked her hard exterior and soft interior. She liked how she smelled and she liked how she got flustered when Clarke gave her sass. As all the things that she liked about Lexa started to flash in her brain, she realized that she was in fact falling for her.

//

 

A few weeks had passed and everything was going smoothly. Clarke was preoccupied with classes however she still had extra time for rugby, and of course, for Lexa. If she was not studying her ass off for or doing homework, Clarke either at rugby practice or spending time with Lexa and her other teammates. Clarke was happy that she had another work-out partner because when she would want to go with Octavia, she was in class. Fortunately, Clarke and Lexa had almost the same schedule and made it a point to work out with each other. It was just another thing that they had in common and loved to do together. Plus, Lexa was a great trainer and Clarke found herself noticeably stronger and quicker after only two weeks of Lexa’s regimens.

As Arkadia was in the mountains, one of Lexa’s favorite workouts were running hills. Arkadia had a perfect running hill that was not too steep and not too long. It made for short, quick, hill sprints. Clarke and Lexa had been doing hills for the past few Mondays and this Monday was no exception.

The past weekend was filled with partying and celebration as Arkadia won their second game of the regular season. They crushed their opponents, Polis University, 36-10. Clarke had scored twice and Octavia scored for the first time. In celebration, Raven made sure that Octavia shot the boot as well. Raven, who also scored, made it a point to zulu around the house again.

Clarke’s body was tired from an arduous game on Saturday morning and a despicable amount of drinking on Saturday afternoon. She slowly made her way to the hill, already knowing that Lexa was going to be standing there, ready to go. She was right. Clarke rounded the science building to see Lexa with her head down, going crazy on an agility ladder. She rolled her eyes and slowly approached the focused brunette. Lexa still had not seen Clarke so Clarke ran up behind her and slapped her on the butt.

“Hey what the fuck—”

Lexa turned around and Clarke could almost see the steam pumping out of her ears. It quickly faded when Lexa realized that it was Clarke and quickly pulled the blonde in for a long embrace.

“Hey,” Lexa whispered in Clarke’s ear. “I missed you.” Clarke pulled away from Lexa’s embrace only so that she could kiss her softly. Clarke could feel Lexa smile when their lips came together.

Clarke and Lexa did not really get many chances to spend time alone together. They would go to their special spot in the mountains every Sunday and enjoy each others company. Because Lexa had a car, they were also able to go on excursions for food off campus, where they could hold hands and steal kisses without worrying about running into anyone from the team. Most other times, however, they were hanging out with the rest of the team which meant that they had to keep things on the down low. The only people that knew were Raven, Octavia, and Anya. Lexa told Clarke that she needed to tell her sister because there was no way that she could keep something like this from her. Anya had been hesitant at first, but Lexa assured her that this was not anything like Costia. Clarke was special.

“Okay, Clarke. Time for us to run off all of that beer!”

“But I don’t wanna.” Clarke said with a pout.

“Come on princess. We have a huge game coming up this weekend against Blue Cliff and we’re going to need you at your best. Plus your mom is coming!”

Clarke was excited to see her mom on Saturday but was nervous as to what she would think of the game. Plus she was nervous for her mom to meet Lexa. Clarke sat on the ground and put her cleats on. It made for better traction as she sprinted up the hill. She hopped up with a smirk on her face.

“Come on, commander, I bet you can’t beat me on the first sprint.”

“Clarke—what…THAT’S CHEATING.” Lexa yelled as she attempted to catch up with the girl who was already halfway up the hill.

Clarke got to the top and took a deep breath as she took in the view. She could almost see her dorm from the top. It provided a perfect view of the Arkadia. She knew that the commander couldn’t catch her and when she finally reached the top, Clarke clapped slowly.

“Well done, well done,” Clarke said sarcastically

 Lexa looked at Clarke with piercing green eyes and slowly made her way back down the hill.

“Okay, so this is how it’s going to be.” Clarke followed Lexa down the hill and when they both got to the bottom, Lexa turned to Clarke and raised her eyebrows.

“This time, I’m going to beat you fair and square,” Clarke said with a grin.

“GO,” Lexa yelled.

They both started at the exact same time. Usually Clarke was able to beat Lexa pretty easily but she really must have tripped a wire because Lexa blew right past her. Clarke mustered all of her strength and was barely able to beat Lexa up the hill.

“That was pretty fucking close, babe,” Clark breathed out heavily. 

“Did you just call me babe?”

Clarke had been referring to Lexa in her head as ‘babe’ for weeks now but never said it aloud. She turned completely red and Lexa started laughing at the sight of it.

“Yes,” Clarke said quietly.

“You’re so fucking cute,” Lexa said with a chuckle.

“So you’re not mad?”

“Why would I be mad, Clarke? I’ve been calling you princess since the day I met you. You can call me whatever you want.”

Clarke smiled and the girls made their way back down the hill. Their workout was to run two sets of five sprints with a sets of push-ups, sit-ups, and squats in between. When they were finished, they were completely and utterly exhausted.

“Great..fucking…workout…” Lexa said. She was still trying to catch her breath.

“You wanna know what’s a better workout?” Clarke said with a wink.

“Clarke—”

“I’m just playing around Lexa.” She stuck out her tongue playfully. “Anyways, if you want to come over and watch a movie after you shower and eat, you’re more than welcome to. Octavia is off campus tonight. It’s Bellamy’s birthday so her family surprised them with a trip to New York City…”

“Oh right. I forgot about that. She told me that she was missing practice tomorrow.” Lexa thought for a moment. “That sounds good though. I did a lot of my homework yesterday when we got back so I don’t have much to do. Can I come around 6? I’ll bring food from the café.”

“Of course, _babe._ ”

Lexa smiled deviously and wrapped her arms around Clarke and pulled her close.

“No—ugh Lexa get off I’m all—you’re all sweaty.”

Lexa planted kisses all over Clarke’s cheeks and slowly kissed down Clarke’s neck. Clarke was surprised. Lexa had never done anything like this before. She continued to kiss Clarke’s neck and started to nip at it which caused Clarke to moan ever so slightly.

“That’s what I thought,” Lexa said proudly. “I will see you tonight, Princess.”

Clarke stood there dumbstruck as Lexa skipped to her car, singing Cool for the Summer by Demi Lovato at the top of her lungs.

//

They had movie nights before but Clarke could tell that this one was going to be different. At 6 o’clock on the dot, Lexa showed up at Clarke’s door with salads and wraps in hand, along with a bottle of red wine. Lexa was wearing a tight black v-neck with khaki joggers and vans. Her hair was pulled up in Clarke’s favorite messy bun.

“Anya got the wine for me. She told me to use it wisely. Whatever that means.”

Clarke pulled Lexa into her room and after she put the stuff down, pulled her into a tight embrace.

“Mmm.. Lexa, you smell good.” Clarke’s nose was invaded by hints of lavender and vanilla.

“Yeah I get that a lot…” Lexa said with a smirk as she laid out the food on Clarke’s desk. Clarke came up behind her wrapped her arms around her waist.

“Thank you,” she whispered in Lexa’s ear. Lexa turned to her left and kissed Clarke on her temple.

She continued to prepare everything, making sure that it was perfect. She opened the wine and Clarke couldn’t help but stare at how her triceps bulged as she pulled out the cork. Clarke could tell that something was off about Lexa. She seemed really happy and perky but she also seemed a bit nervous. They had never done anything besides kissing and Clarke could not help but wonder if that was the source of Lexa’s nerves. She did not want to bring it up in case she was wrong. She did not want to force anything. She wanted this night to go as organically as possible.

“Fuck, I forgot cups…” Lexa looked defeated. It was really really cute.

“Don’t worry! I have some red solo cups. We are in college after all.” Lexa smiled at Clarke sweetly.

“To a pleasant rest of the semester” Lexa said as she raised her cup. Clarke did the same and the two sat down and enjoyed the feast that Lexa had brought. After they finished, the two cuddled onto Clarke’s bed and settled on watching D.E.B.S., which Lexa had not seen.

“Did you know that they made a short version of this and Alexandra Breckenridge played the main character?”

“No fucking way. She’s so…ugh…Did you watch the first season of American Horror Story? She definitely helped me understand my sexuality…” Lexa said with a chuckle.

Lexa was sitting in between Clarke’s legs with her head resting on Clarke’s chest. Lexa had taken down her bun and Clarke was running her hands through her silky, smooth hair. Clarke realized that she had straightened it, which is not something that she’d done before. Clarke had seen the movie previously so after about 30 minutes, she was starting to get bored. When Clarke was bored, she knew that she could not be trusted. She placed all of Lexa’s hair over her right shoulder, leaned forward, and started to kiss the other side of Lexa’s neck.

“Clarke—what? What—what are you doing?” Lexa started to giggle and Clarke continued to kiss her neck. “I’m trying to watch the movie.”

“Are you really?” Clarke said sensually.

“No..” Lexa turned around almost instantly, practically throwing herself at Clarke. She now had her legs on either side of Clarke’s hips and was straddling her. Clarke watched in awe as Lexa reached back and pulled her hair into a messy bun and leaned back into lock Clarke’s lips with hers without missing a beat.

It was probably the sexist thing that Clarke had ever seen.

Clarke felt like her body was on fire. Lexa was running her fingers through her hair and was running her tongue along Clarke’s bottom lip. She quickly took Clarke’s bottom lip between her teeth and sucked on it, which caused Clarke to moan. They stayed like this for a while, their mouths dancing like they had been together their entire lives. Lexa was running her strong hands along Clarke’s body and Clarke felt sparks at every touch. She was caressing Lexa’s cheeks and she could not get over how soft they were. Clarke loved this. She loved kissing Lexa. She loved the way that Lexa held her and made her feel like she was the most important person in the world.

However, Clarke wanted more.

She wanted all of her.

Clarke was nervous. She’d had sex with girls before but none of them were Lexa.

Desire overcame fear when Clarke lifted her right leg between Lexa and applied pressure to her center.

“Clarke—” Lexa moaned.

Lexa must have been encouraged by Clarke’s actions because her kisses started to become harder and hungrier.

Clarke continued to lift her leg against Lexa, who moaned at the contact. Lexa sat up and looked down at Clarke. She could tell that Lexa wanted her as much as she did. Clarke sat up hungrily and pulled Lexa toward her. They were sitting on Clarke’s small, twin bed with their legs wrapped around each other. Clarke was running her hands down Lexa’s torso, finally reaching the hem of her shirt. She began to pull it up slowly and Lexa lifted her arms, allowing Clarke to take it off. Clarke looked down at Lexa’s toned abs and her breasts that were pushed together in a black Calvin Klein sports bra. Clarke could also see what she assumed were matching Calvin Klein boxers, peeking out of Lexa’s joggers.

Clarke was overwhelmed. Similar to the drill during her first practice, she used her strength to twist herself on top of Lexa, pushing her back onto the bed. Clarke straddled Lexa and before leaning down to kiss her, Clarke took off her shirt and threw it across the room. She kissed Lexa passionately. She wanted to make sure that Lexa knew how much she wanted her. Clarke could sense some hesitation so she sat up.

“Are you okay? Is this going to fast?”

“No—it’s fine. It’s just—wow. You’re so beautiful Clarke.”

Clarke looked down at the gorgeous girl below her and couldn’t help but smile. She was speechless. Lexa was perfect.

Lexa pulled Clarke back down, locking their lips and running her hands through her hair. Clarke just wanted to feel her body against Lexa’s. She wanted her to feel pleasure. Clarke started to run her hands along the hem of Lexa’s joggers, unsure if Lexa wanted to go any further. Her question was answered rather quickly as Lexa guided Clarke’s hands down her pants.

Clarke looked at Lexa, which Lexa responded to by nodding.

She reached down and felt Lexa’s wetness though her boxers. Just knowing that Lexa felt this way because of Clarke made her feel things that she had never felt before. Clarke was about to run her hand under Lexa’s boxers when she heard a soft voice.

“Wait..”

Clarke thought that Lexa wasn’t ready. She felt awful. She felt like she had pressured her into something that she wasn’t ready to do. Clarke looked at Lexa, thinking that she was going see her frowning and nervous, but instead Lexa had a smirk on her face. Clarke felt Lexa reach behind her and unhook her bra with one hand and pull the straps off each arm. Clarke’s mouth must have opened because before she knew it, Lexa leaned forward and bit her bottom lip, pulling her back in. Lexa’s hands were all over Clarke’s breasts and it was not long before Clarke tugged Lexa’s sports bra over her head. Clarke’s bare chest against Lexa’s was Clarke’s new favorite feeling in the world. Lexa started to guide Clarke’s hand back towards the hem of her pants. Clarke did not require any more encouragement.

Clarke slowly ran her hand under Lexa’s boxers and teased her mercilessly. As she ran her fingers along her, she felt Lexa’s nails dig into her, hard. Clarke continued to kiss Lexa, the two only breaking apart so they could breathe.

Lexa seemed pleased however Clarke slowly removed her hand from under Lexa’s pants. Before Lexa could say anything, Clarke started to kiss down Lexa’s neck, using all of her restraint to not leave marks. Lexa was moaning so loudly that Clarke was sure that her neighbors could hear. Clarke started to toy with Lexa’s nipples, taking the right one in her mouth and teasing it with her tongue. This drove Lexa crazy, causing her to arch her back.

“Clarke—please...”

Lexa’s eyes were pleading and Clarke knew exactly what to do. She slid Lexa’s joggers off and kissed her over her boxers.

“Clarke…”

Clarke slowly took off Lexa’s boxers and kissed the inside of her thighs before returning to her center, licking her ever so gently.

Clarke felt Lexa’s body tense up and felt as Lexa buried her hands into her hair.

She knew that this was going to change things between them but Clarke put that in the back of her mind as she pleasured the girl that was in front of her. At that moment, she was sure that she was in love with this girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I've been busy starting PT for my shoulder (Rugby injury obviously :) ) Should have the rest of the story posted by the end of the week! 
> 
> Don't really write stuff like that but felt that it was important for the story. 
> 
> This chapter focused more on their relationship. Next two chapters will have more rugby play by play. 
> 
> Thank you guys for all of your support! As always, feel free to reach out with any questions or comments!!!


	6. Meet the Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Clarke gets a lil down on herself and Lexa meets Abby.

Clarke awoke to Lexa stirring in her arms. Her eyes fluttered and she pulled Lexa closer to her, kissing the back of her neck.  Lexa turned around and faced Clarke. Their noses were almost touching.

“Hey…” Clarke said with a smile. “How’d you sleep?”

Lexa yawned. “Pretty well. That was—you were… You tired me out.” Lexa blushed.

Clarke kissed her on the nose.

“You’re welcome,” she said with a grin.

Lexa nuzzled into Clarke’s neck and wrapped her arms around her body.

“Can we just stay like this all day?”

“I wish we could babe, but I have class in an hour.” Clarke wrapped her arms around Lexa and held her close. “And it’s with your sister, by the way.”

Lexa chuckled and kissed Clarke on the neck. “She’ll know that I didn’t come home last night. She’s going to grill you mercilessly.”

 

Clarke got up and showered, knowing that she couldn’t possibly go to class reeking of sex. Especially if she was going to sit next to Anya. She reluctantly washed Lexa’s scent off her body, her mind wandering to the events of last night. As she stepped out of the shower, she remembered that Lexa was still laying in her bed. Clarke dried off her body and towel dried her hair. She sprayed some of her perfume and tousled her curls with some mousse. She threw her towel over her shoulder and walked into her room completely naked.

She expected to see surprised green eyes following her throughout her room but instead, Clarke saw Lexa wrapped up in her blankets like a burrito, scrolling through Instagram.

Clarke cleared her throat.

“Hey—” Clarke watched as Lexa’s head poked out of the blankets and her eyes got wide.

Clarke was still dripping a little bit from the shower and the look on Lexa’s face was priceless.

“Clarke, you’re so—you’re so beautiful.”

Clarke twirled around like a ballerina.

“C’mere…” Lexa muttered, holding up Clarke’s blankets. She was still in her Calvin Klein bra and underwear.

Clarke used her towel to dry off a little bit more before hopping back in to bed with Lexa, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her close.

“You smell so good…I’m never letting you go.” Lexa started placing soft kisses on Clarke’s neck. “You’re not allowed to go to class,” Lexa joked.

“But I have to,” Clarke pouted. “We’re reviewing for our midterm next week.”

Lexa continued kissing Clarke’s neck and started kissing along her jaw, finally landing on her lips. Clarke smiled as Lexa cupped her cheeks and kissed her.

“Baaaaabe…I have to get dressed and go. I need to grab a coffee before class. You can hang out here for a while unless you have something to do. Also, you’re welcome to meet Anya and I for lunch.”

“Anya?” Lexa perked up. “I’ll be there.”

Clarke kissed Lexa once more, got dressed, and ran out the door. There was something satisfying about knowing that Lexa was still in her bed.

//

“Oh god, you smell just like her.” Anya said as Clarke sat down next to her in class.

Clarke blushed and silently pulled her laptop from her bag.

“Coffee too? What, were you guys up all night?” Anya said with a wink.

“Mmhmm…” Clarke chuckled.

//

Clarke’s lunch with Lexa and Anya was definitely a lot different than the first one that they had shared only a few weeks ago. Clarke and Lexa were obviously in great spirits and Anya was teasing them like a savage.

“So…who was on top?”

Lexa spit out her salad and Clarke nearly spilled her water all over the table.

“Anya… Please shut up.” Lexa said, glaring at her sister.

“Oh okay, look, Ontari just walked in, maybe I should ask her to sit with us and we can all talk about it! I’m sure she’d love to hear everything!”

“Fine. Just—tease me later, Clarke doesn’t need this right now.” Lexa said defensively.

Clarke knew that Ontari and Lexa were not always on the best of terms. She apparently was super against the ‘no-dating rule’ and her and Lexa had gotten into multiple altercations because of it. Lexa knew that if Ontari found out about her and Clarke, that she would make a huge deal about it. This caused some tension between the sisters but it was broken when Anya started talking about the game on Saturday. After Saturday, they only had 3 more games until the end of the season. Anya was clearly sad about finishing her last fall season at Arkadia.

//

The rest of the week was filled with a lot of studying. It was almost the end of September so the semester was in full swing. Clarke was busy doing lab reports and writing papers. Gustus worked them super hard at practice. Between studying and practice, Clarke was starting to feel worn out. Thursday’s practice was unnecessarily grueling and Clarke felt herself not even wanting to go to the usual mixer with the boy’s team. She was exhausted. Plus her mom was coming up to Arkadia the next day so they could spend time together before the game. Abby was staying at a hotel nearby and Clarke was stressed about having to spend time with her mother. It had been a while. She hadn’t even gotten a proper chance to talk to her mom about Lexa.

Octavia, however, was in full party mode. She was getting ready for the mixer and was blasting Kanye West as she straightened her hair in the bathroom. Clarke was in a ball on her bed, attempting to take notes for biology.

“I can’t believe you’re not coming tonight, Clarke. Raven said that she bought a huge bottle of Svedka. It’s going to be so fun…”

“I know…” Clarke trailed off. She wanted to have fun and celebrate with her friends but her school work and practice just had her so bogged down. She was not in the mood to celebrate or to be with other people. She had not even texted Lexa to tell her that she was not going to the mixer. Clarke would get in these moods sometimes. She would just get stressed out and anxious and not feel like being in a big group of people. She just needed to ride out this mood so she could hopefully feel better for tomorrow and for the game on Saturday.

“Okay, Clarke. Raven is going to be outside any second. Are you sure that you don’t want to come?”

“Positive. Take a shot for me and send the team and the boys my best.” Clarke smiled weakly and returned to her book.

Octavia nodded and headed out the door.

Octavia had been gone for thirty minutes when Clarke heard a knock on her door. She was not expecting anyone. She had not gotten any messages on her phone. She slowly made her way to the door. When she opened the door, Lexa was standing there in her rugby hoodie and black jogger sweatpants with her hair dripping and pulled back into a messy bun. She was holding a box of pizza and a bag of peanut m&m’s, which were Clarke’s favorite.

“Hey… I came as soon as I could. Octavia said that she was worried about you and that you hadn’t eaten and I…I’m sorry if I’m bothering you and I can leave but I just wanted to make sure that you had something to eat.”

Clarke was in shock. No one had ever done anything like this for her before. No one had taken the time to listen to her when she talked about her favorite foods or knew what to do when she was upset.

She ushered Lexa into her room, took the pizza box from her hands and set it on her desk. Lexa stood there awkwardly, clearly worried about Clarke and unsure of how to proceed. Clarke threw herself into Lexa’s arms, which wrapped around her tightly. She slowly realized that this was exactly what she needed to make her feel better.

“Please…stay,” was all that Clarke managed to utter out. The two girls stood in silence for a while as Clarke buried her head in Lexa’s shoulder. Lexa was holding her close and rubbing her back. Clarke was able to eat a piece of pizza and some m&ms and the two girls laid on her bed. Clarke returned to the crook of Lexa’s neck. Lexa wrapped her arms around Clarke and kissed her on the forehead. She was asleep within minutes.

 

Clarke woke up to the smell of fresh bagels and coffee. She remembered falling asleep in Lexa’s arms but when she felt around her bed she realized that she was not there.

“Relax, princess. I’m right here.”

Clarke shifted onto her other side, making eye contact with bright, green eyes. Light was peering in through the blinds. Lexa was sitting on Octavia’s bed, obviously waiting for her to wake up. Clarke smiled at the beautiful girl who was sitting across from her.

“You shifted when I went to get breakfast and I didn’t have it in my heart to move you.” Lexa said with a grin. “Are you hungry? I got you a bagel. I have coffee and bananas too…”

Clarke was on the verge of tears. She had always dreamed of someone waking up early and bringing her breakfast but never thought that it would actually happen to her.

“Come here…I need you to kiss me.” Clarke said.

Lexa smiled and made her way over to Clarke, cupping her cheeks and kissing her passionately.

“All better…” Clarke said with a smile. “Can I have coffee?” Clarke took Lexa’s hand into hers and caressed it.

“Of course,” Lexa said with a smile. She turned around, handed Clarke her coffee, and kissed her on the forehead. Clarke leaned her head against Lexa’s chest and started to sip her coffee. It was warm and bitter, just how she liked it.

“Lexa, I don’t even know what to say…Just—thank you. I really appreciate everything that you did last night and this morning… I don’t know how to thank you properly… You didn’t have to go through all this trouble…” she trailed off.

“You don’t need to thank me, Clarke. I needed to know that you were okay. I needed to make sure that I was there for you. I didn’t want to overstep any boundaries but I needed you to know that I would be there to take care of you if you wanted me to.”

Clarke set her coffee down on her bedside table and wrapped her arms around Lexa.

“I’m so glad that you’re here.”

//

Clarke and Lexa laid in bed for a few hours, cuddling, talking, and eating their bagels. Lexa left around 10, as Abby was due to arrive at Arkadia around 11am. Clarke felt like the luckiest girl in the world after last night. She was really excited to tell her mom about Lexa and how great she was.

Clarke’s mom arrived at 11am on the dot. She met her outside of her dorm and they exchanged a long embrace. Clarke had never seen her mom so happy. Clarke had been busy with college and had not really thought about how tough it must be for her mom to be alone at home.

“I missed you so much sweetheart… You look great!”

Clarke missed the way her mom smelled. She smelled like home.

Clarke and her mom made their way to the little village that bordered Arkadia, Mount Weather. It was a sleepy, mountain town, adorned with cottages, cafés, and other mom and pop shops. Mount Weather State, Arkadia’s biggest rival was located at the end of the main strip. Clarke and her mother opted for a small café, which Clarke’s parents had frequented when they attended Arkadia. The two women sat down and started to look over the menus.

“I’m so happy to be here with you, Clarke. It’s just so nice to see you.”

“It’s nice to see you too, mom,” Clarke said with a smile.

They placed their drink orders, they both got coffee, and Abby continued to marvel how good she thought Clarke looked.

“You look so strong, Clarke. I’m glad. I don’t want you getting hurt on that field,” her mom said with a smile.

Clarke smiled and sipped on her coffee. There was an awkward pause.

“I’m sort of seeing someone…” Clarke and Abby said in unison.   

Clarke was really surprised. Her mom hadn’t seen anyone since her father died. She could tell that her mom was surprised as well.

“You go first mom, tell me all about him.” Clarke smiled sweetly, even though she was hurting inside. She knew that her mother should not have to be alone forever, but the thought of her being with someone besides her father made Clarke sort of upset.

“Well, his name is Marcus…” her mom started. “He was actually really good friends with your father and I when we were at Arkadia. He has a stable job with the government. I ran into him the week after you left when I was in Washington D.C. for a medical conference and we’ve been seeing each other ever since! I’m really happy Clarke… I haven’t felt this happy in a long time.”

Clarke instantly felt bad for getting upset over the whole thing. Seeing her mom this giddy about something was absolutely wonderful. She hadn’t seen her smile about something in a really long time.

“Oh, and he played rugby when he was at Arkadia so I invited him to your game tomorrow. That way you can meet him! I hope that’s alright. I wanted to ask you before I gave him the go ahead.”

“Of course mom. I can’t wait to meet him…” Clarke smiled.

“Alright missy, so who’s this mystery person! I want to hear all about them. It’s not Octavia, is it?”

Clarke blushed.

“No..” she chuckled. Clarke’s words came spewing out of her like vomit. “Her name is Lexa. I think I’ve mentioned her before. She’s the captain of our team and she’s absolutely wonderful, mom. I haven’t felt this way about anyone before. She’s hard on the outside but she’s just so kind. She takes care of me and we have great conversations. She’s just so special. It all happened so fast but I think—I think I’m in love with her, mom…”

Her mom looked at her sincerely. Clarke had never seen her like this before.

“That’s almost exactly how I told my mom about your father, Clarke…”

Clarke didn’t know what to say. She knew that she had to bring it up.

“But…there’s only one downfall… Technically we have to keep everything a secret because of a rule that she made that says that people on the team aren’t allowed to date…”  Clarke looked down.

“Oh, well that’s…interesting. How do you feel about that, honey?”

“I mean…It sucks, but I really like her and if this is how we have to do things for the time being, then I have to just suck it up…”

“Do you though? I just…I don’t want you to get hurt, Clarke.”

“I know. I’m a big girl, mom, I’ll be okay…”

Her mom looked at her with hesitant eyes. She must have realized that Clarke did not want to discuss it any further. They ate their lunch and conversed comfortably. Abby talked about Marcus and Clarke told her mom all about her classes and coursework.

They spent the rest of the day together, exploring Mount Weather and going to all of the different shops along the strip. Clarke really enjoyed spending time with her mother. She realized that she missed her more than she thought she would.

//

 Saturday was a crisp, fall, morning. Clarke and Octavia got breakfast at the cafeteria and then made their way to the field to help set up. Lexa was already there, as usual, discussing strategy with Coach Gustus, with war paint on her face. Clarke and Lexa smiled at each other sweetly as Clarke put her stuff down next to where Lexa was standing. The field was in pretty good shape from the previous week so Clarke and Octavia really only had to attach the padding and set up the flags.

After about 30 minutes, the rest of the team showed up. Anya was leading the group with such enthusiasm that Clarke couldn’t help but smile.

“Onward, my children!! It is time that we lay waste to Blue Cliff!!” she said as she marched toward the field.

“Anya, this is no time for joking around,” Lexa said coldly.

Anya laughed and rolled her eyes.

Blue Cliff’s bus arrived shortly after. They, like Arkadia, were on the smaller side, but according to Lexa, they played with a lot of grit. This game was going to be more about fitness than anything else, which is why Gustus had worked them so hard the previous week. The teams did their usual warm ups and Clarke waved as her mom and her guest took their seat on the bleachers. Marcus was very good looking for an older man. He still had a thick head of brown hair and a full beard to go with it. Her mom looked very happy.

Lexa caught Clarke’s eye and smiled at her nervously, nodding over at where her mom was sitting.

Clarke approached Lexa and whispered, “She’s going to love you.”

Lexa smiled softly but her expression changed when the sir blew his whistle, signaling that he wanted to speak with the captains.

“It’s time to eat souls…” Lexa said to Clarke.

The lineup was the same as the previous games, with Harper and Maya at prop, Echo at hooker, Indra and Ontari locking, Raven and Octavia at flanker, Emori at 8 man, Lexa at scrum half, Anya at flyhalf, Monroe at inside center, Charlotte at outside center, Clarke at right wing, Fox on the left side wing and Niylah at fullback. Her strenuous week had Clarke wanting to crush bones. She was ready to play and to do everything in her power to help her team win.

Arkadia was set to receive the kick from Blue Cliff. Clarke was lined up behind Charlotte, trying to cover as much space as possible in case the ball was kicked in their direction. The ball, however was kicked towards the forwards and Raven was able to receive it with ease. She barreled through the middle, shrugging girls off her left and right until she was brought down after a 20 meter gain. Ontari and Harper were able to form a clean ruck over her and Lexa was able to secure the ball. She called a white ball, which meant that she was going to pass the ball out to the backs. Anya ran up to receive the ball, and caught it with pace. She continued down the field and before going into contact with a Blue Cliff player, she passed the ball to Monroe. Monroe juked out a few Blue Cliff girls but was eventually brought down. Raven was there to form a ruck and Lexa was able to get a ball to Charlotte. As Charlotte caught the ball, Clarke could see that there were multiple girls in front of  her and that they were a little far towards the sidelines. There was a substantial hole in their defense and she wanted to take advantage of it. Clarke decided to cut to her right and run around Charlotte.

“Charlotte, switch! On your right!”

Thankfully they had practiced this various times so it played out like clockwork. Clarke caught the ball at incredible pace and out ran everyone who tried to bring her down. She tried to center her run a bit to make the extra point easier for Niylah and was able to touch the ball down as Blue Cliff players crashed down on top of her.

The crowd roared and Clarke looked over at her mom and Marcus who were jumping up and down like crazy. Out of nowhere, strong hands lifted her from the ground and pulled her into a hug.

“Nice switch, princess…”

Clarke received back pats and ass slaps from the rest of the team as they met in the center to discuss strategy and watch Niylah take the kick. Clarke was not able to center the ball, but Niylah was still able to make the extra point. 7-0 Arkadia.

The early lead was encouraging for Arkadia, however Blue Cliff came back with a vengeance. They were able to score on a set piece from a scrum, which was called when Raven knocked the ball forward. Their play was beautifully executed. They lined up in a spilt scrum and before Arkadia could react, their inside center was already downfield. Arkadia did their best to stop it, and Clarke, with her blazing speed, was able to tackle the girl before she made her way to the center of the try zone. With the help from Clarke, their kicker missed the difficult kick, leaving the score at 7-5 with Arkadia still in the lead.

The game rolled on and there were various scrums in the middle of the field. The forwards were physically and emotionally exhausted and it showed throughout the first half. Blue Cliff’s right wing proved to be very difficult for Clarke. She was tall, sturdy, and made herself incredibly hard to bring down. As the first half was about to come to a close, Arkadia was attempting to foil a strong attack made by Blue Cliff. They had gotten within 10 meters of Arkadia’s try line and were putting up a good fight. They got the ball out to their right side wing and she was able to zig zag around Clarke and touch the ball down for a try.

Clarke was really discouraged that she allowed the girl to get past her. She kept playing it over and over in her head. She felt like she let her team down.

“Ugh… if I had just gotten a bit lower…” she said out loud to herself.

Thankfully the ball was touched down in the corner, meaning that the extra point was going to be very difficult. The kicker was unable to make it, so the score was 7-10 for Blue Cliff.

The sir blew the whistle to signal that it was half time.

“This game is far from over ladies. I’ve liked what I’ve seen out there and if we can get out of our own heads and just play the game, we can totally beat these guys,” Lexa said to her team. The look in her eyes was inspiring.

Clarke felt Lexa’s words hit her like a ton of bricks. She was getting inside of her own head. She just needed to relax and play her game. She looked up into the stands and saw her mom give her a thumbs up, which lifted her spirits.

“Hey…” she heard a soft voice say as she felt herself get pulled to the side. “Are you okay? You’re playing great out there, Clarke. You just gotta get a little lower when you make your tackles, okay?”

“Yeah, I know. I’m okay,” Clarke sulked.

“Hey hey…” Lexa grabbed Clarke’s shoulders and shook her a little. “So you missed a tackle and she scored. So what? What can you do about it now besides making sure that it doesn’t happen again?”

Lexa lit a fire within her and motivated her like no one else. “Nothing. It’s not going to happen again. She’s not going to get past me again. I just have to go lower.”

“Atta girl. We still have plenty of time left. I expect at least one more try from you…” Lexa said with a wink.

“Yes commander.” Clarke could feel her confidence building in her. Lexa helped her get out of her head yet again. She was so grateful. She was ready to get back into it.

The whistle blew and Arkadia lined up behind Niylah who had the ball in her hands, ready to kick off. The ball flew in the air and one of Blue Cliff’s forwards was able to catch it. She was quickly brought down by Anya, who had stormed downfield as the ball was kicked.

Arkadia formed a horizontal line behind the ball and prepared for Blue Cliff’s offense. Lexa was commanding the pitch, making sure that her girls were evenly spread out across the field. They held possession for a long time. They played a lot of forwards balls which caused them to gain substantial yardage.  After about 15 minutes of grueling rucks and hits, they were finally were able to get their ball out to their right-side wing, which resulted in Clarke going one-on-one with the girl. As she stormed towards Clarke and tried to juke her, Clarke got low, wrapping her arms around her thighs and pushing her out of bounds. This meant that Arkadia was going to have a line-out.

“Fuck yeah Griffin!!!” Raven yelled. Clarke heard Lexa yell “Let’s go!”

 Echo threw the ball in and Octavia was able to secure it. She passed the ball out to Lexa, who charged forward, stiff arming the Blue Cliff girls who tried to bring her down. She was absolutely incredible. She played with such strength and finesse. Lexa was able to get the ball off to Anya, who ran the ball down to about 10 meters from Blue Cliff’s try line. It was a brawl. Raven and Octavia were able to follow Anya downfield. When Anya went down, Octavia completely obliterated the girl who tried to poach the ball and Raven was able to pick up the ball and punch it into the try zone. She ran between the goal posts and touched the ball down. Octavia slowly got up after her massive tackle and wrapped her arms around Raven, lifting her up slightly.  Clarke was close behind and embraced both Octavia and Raven.

Niylah was able to make the kick with ease, which left Arkadia up 14-10.

“Great fucking effort everyone. Great work by Anya with the run and great ruck by Octavia." Lexa was beaming. Clarke could tell that she was really happy with how her team had worked together.

Clarke felt a lot better. Her confidence improved once she was able to bring the girl down.

There was about 15 minutes left in the game and Lexa reminded her squad not to stop playing until the final whistle.

They were making their way back onto their positions when Clarke heard, “I’m still waiting on that second try, princess.”

“You got it, commander.” She slapped Lexa on her butt.

Clarke smiled and ran to the right side of the field.

Blue Cliff came back on the field, not hindered by Arkadia’s recent try. They were jumping around and yelling like crazy. The kicker soared the ball into the air. Clarke had been drifting off, staring at a flock of birds that were flying by when she heard yelling. Clarke looked around and realized that the ball was coming right at her. Once Clarke caught the ball, she was off. She was in her zone and she knew that no one was going to stop her. She juked people out and stiff armed player after player. Her legs burned as she sprinted down the field but she did not care. She was able to run it straight through, all the way to Blue Cliff’s try line and slid through the goal posts.

The crowd was going absolutely crazy. Clarke could hear her mom cheering from the bleachers and before she knew it, familiar hands were wrapping around her, pulling her in for a hug.

“There you go, _babe,_ ” she whispered in Lexa’s ear.

They broke apart and Clarke looked into Lexa’s eyes. They were glowing.

“I’m so fucking proud of you. C’mon. Let’s finish this.”

Anya was right behind Lexa and jumped on Clarke, pulling the two girls in for huge hug.

Niylah made the extra point with ease: 21-10 Arkadia.

Blue Cliff made a push to score but Arkadia’s defense was solid. They were not going to give up this game. The final whistle sounded and Arkadia came together to cheer for Blue Cliff, the sir, and themselves. After speeches from Gustus and Lexa, the team disbanded to change and get ready to watch the men’s team, who were preparing to play Blue Cliff as well.

Lexa had her arm around Clarke’s shoulder. It took everything in Clarke to not kiss Lexa. She just looked so good in her war paint and with the look of victory on her face. They walked over to where Clarke’s mom was standing with Marcus.

“Great game sweetie! You were absolutely incredible!!” Abby embraced her daughter. “You girls are such badasses!”

Clarke watched as Lexa smiled. She looked really nervous.

“Hi—um Mrs. Griffin. I’m Lexa. It’s so great to meet you. Thank you so much for coming to watch us. I know that it means so much to Clarke that you’re here.”

Before Lexa could say anything else, Abby pulled her in for a hug.

“I’m so glad to meet you Lexa. Thank you so much for caring for Clarke and taking her under your wing.”

Lexa blushed. “It’s my pleasure, ma’am.”

“Oh, and this is Marcus!” Abby said as Marcus put his arm around her waist.

Clarke smiled and both she and Lexa shook his hand.

“You guys can call me by my last name, Kane. It was my rugby name…” he trailed off.

The group made good conversation and Clarke enjoyed the dynamic between them. Lexa returned to the team to hang out with her sister but Clarke stayed with her mom and Kane for a little bit.

“She seems really sweet, Clarke.  I like her a lot.”

“I know,” Clarke said. “Me too.”

 

//

 

After the men’s game, the four squads drove back to the men’s house. There was enough beer and pizza to go around. Unfortunately the men lost to Blue Cliff 35-20 but the atmosphere was still very positive. Clarke was hanging out with Octavia and Bellamy throughout most of the afternoon, but every so often she would catch Lexa’s gaze and smile at the beautiful green eyes that looked upon her.

As the Blue Cliff players left, Lexa crept up behind Clarke and took her hand, guiding her out of the door with the crowd. Clarke was relieved. All she wanted to do was to spend time alone with Lexa. She had hung out with her friends and socialized with the Blue Cliff girls, but now, all she wanted to do was hang out with the girl that she cared about most.

They made their way back to the girls house and went up to Lexa’s room. As soon as the door closed, Clarke wrapped her hands around Lexa and pulled her in for a kiss. Their lips came together and Lexa started to run her hands along Clarke’s back.

“Hi.” Clarke said with a smile. “I missed you.”

Lexa didn’t respond with words. She pulled Clarke closer and kissed her tenderly.

Clarke was so happy to be with Lexa. All she wanted to do was tell her how she felt but she was so afraid of how she would react. Clarke did not want to hide things anymore and she was starting to get paranoid that she would have to keep quiet about this far longer than she expected.

“Lexa…” Clarke started.

“I know.” Lexa pulled her closer. “I’m going to talk to Anya and see how she thinks I should proceed. I want to tell people Clarke. I do. It hurts that I can’t show the world how I feel about you.”

Clarke looked at the girl in front of her. Her green eyes were filled with worry.

“You’re so special, Lexa,” Clarke said as she caressed Lexa’s cheek.  “We’ll get through this. It’s going to be hard but I’m here and I’ll do anything to make it easier. I just want to be able to show people how much I care about you. It kills me when I can’t hold your hand in front of our teammates. I just feel like I’m going behind their backs and I hate it…”

“I know, princess, I know. I’m going to take care of it. I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added another chapter because I thought of more things~
> 
> Thank you all for the great comments!


	7. They Don't Know About Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Clarke tells Lexa how she feels.

-One week later-

Their game against Polis Tech had gone especially well, Clarke was able to score a beautiful try after an impressive long ball from Lexa. They had just one game left in their season and it was a rematch against Mount Weather State. This time, it counted for a playoff spot. Mount Weather State was the only other undefeated team in their conference so this meant that they were playing for the cherished first place slot in the bracket.

Lexa still had not taken steps towards telling the team. Clarke was getting restless. She did not know how much longer she could keep her feelings hidden and was terrified that someone was going to find out. She was especially weary of Ontari. She could have sworn that she had been giving her dirty looks all week. If this past week hadn’t been unbelievably crazy, Clarke would have been more upset, however Lexa had been shacked up in the library, cranking out paper after paper. Clarke would make sandwich and coffee deliveries to Lexa’s study room. She would work on any homework she had and would do rough sketches of Lexa as she worked tirelessly on her term papers.

On Monday evening, Clarke made her usual run to the library with a turkey and avocado sandwich, Lexa’s favorite. She found her in her study room with the sleeves of her rugby polo rolled up and a defeated look on her face. She still managed to smile when Clarke walked in the room and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek when she set down the sandwich.

“Thanks beautiful.”

Clarke smiled and sat down across from Lexa. She had finished her work earlier so she grabbed her sketchbook and started to draw the beautiful girl who had refocused her attention to her computer. Clarke outlined the tufts of hair that were sticking out of her messy bun and the eyes that were fixated on her computer.

“Clarke..” she heard Lexa say quietly.

Clarke averted her eyes from her sketch book. Lexa was smiling and her green eyes were droopy from exhaustion and over exertion. Clarke could not help but smile. She still looked beautiful.

“I don’t know if you know this but Anya is graduating a semester early. I was…actually both she and Gustus suggested…” Lexa paused and collected her thoughts. “I was wondering if you would be my fly half during the spring season. I know that you just started playing and that it can be a daunting position but I trust you and we have great chemistry and I just think you’re the best for the position.” 

Clarke did not know what she thought Lexa was going to say but she was not expecting that at all.

“Anya said that she’d take you under her wing at practice from now on. If you’re comfortable, we can try you at some point during the Mount Weather game. Only if you’re comfortable though…”

Clarke was beaming. She felt her cheeks flush. She knew how much rugby meant to Lexa and couldn’t believe that she was offering Clarke one of the most crucial positions for a scrum half.

“Of course, Lexa. I-I don’t really know what to say. I’m honored…”

“Well, you deserve it. Both Gustus and I have been so pleased with how you’ve taken to the game. You’re a natural, Clarke. I’m so proud of you.” Lexa’s eyes began to twinkle. Clarke couldn’t help but fall in love with how passionate Lexa was about the sport.

Clarke couldn’t take it anymore. She got up from her seat and threw her arms around the girl she cared so much for.

“I love you,” she whispered as she pulled Lexa close to her.

She felt Lexa tense in her embrace but after a few moments, she relaxed and pulled Clarke in.

“I lo— ,” Lexa started.

Clarke pulled away from the hug and looked into Lexa’s eyes. She knew that she loved her but she was destroyed at the fact that Lexa still had not said anything to the team. She could not keep it to herself anymore.

Before Lexa could say anything else, Clarke put her hand up.

“But…” Clarke started. “I can’t do this unless you tell the rest of the team. I’m tired of keeping you a secret, Lexa. It’s killing me. I want to tell the whole world how I feel about you.”

Lexa looked at Clarke with sad, defeated eyes.

“Clarke…I…” Lexa seemed to be at a loss for words.

The lack of action frustrated Clarke. She wanted Lexa to fight for her and stand up for her. She collected her belongings and stormed out the door, not even taking a second to look at the devastated girl who sat motionless in the room.

Clarke walked briskly to her room and felt tears fall down her face. She was hoping that Lexa would come after her but the commander was nowhere to be seen. She slammed her door shut, threw her bag on the floor, and plopped down onto her bed. She was so overcome with anger and sadness that she did not realize that Octavia had been sitting there the entire time, with her eyes wide open.

Luckily Clarke was already in sweats and a t-shirt because she fell asleep face down on her bed. Her pillow was soaked in tears and her hands were clenched in fists.

//

Clarke’s alarm went off at 8:30 and she slowly made her way to the shower. Clarke felt like absolute garbage. She didn’t know what she was expecting but when she checked her phone for any text messages, she was crushed at the fact that Lexa had not even reached out.

She felt herself zone out for a while and realized that she had to rush to class. She completely forgot that she would have to face Anya when she got there.

To Clarke’s surprise, Anya wasn’t in class. She hoped that her whole situation with Lexa had nothing to do with it.

She tried to pay attention as the professor discussed different artists from Latin America but her mind was elsewhere. She was longing for Lexa but also felt betrayed by her. She felt extremely conflicted and it made her head hurt. All she wanted to do was go back to her room and curl up into a ball.

When the professor dismissed class, Clarke was the first one out the door. She bolted back to her room and threw herself onto her bed.

“You wanna talk about it?”

Clarke was startled. She didn’t even realize that Octavia was in the room.

“Not particularly…” Clarke looked over at Octavia who was sitting at her desk. Her eyes looked worried but she was understanding that Clarke needed space.

“Well, I’m here if you need to talk…”

Clarke nodded and closed her eyes.

She was awoken a few hours later by Octavia.

“Clarke…Clarke… You have class…”

Clarke took a deep breath.

“Thanks O…” Octavia nodded and walked back to her desk. She grabbed her stuff and waited for Clarke by the door. Clarke threw on a hoodie that was hanging on her bedpost. As she pulled it on, she realized that it was Lexa’s rugby hoodie. It smelled just like her. She pouted and pulled it off slowly, grabbing another hoodie that was on her desk.

Octavia watched this situation unfold and when Clarke approached the door, she pulled her in for a hug.

“Hey,” Octavia said softly. “It’s going to be okay.”

Clarke nodded and quietly thanked her roommate.

When she got to her Spanish lecture, her professor greeted her with a warm smile, which made Clarke feel better. She was surprisingly able to pay attention and even spoke a little bit in class.

She left her lecture feeling better than when she arrived.  Clarke made her way to the cafeteria with her head held high. She had texted Octavia during her lecture asking if she wanted to grab dinner before practice. Octavia was quick to confirm and the two girls agreed to meet outside of the cafeteria.

Octavia was waiting for Clarke outside of the entrance and Clarke gave her a hug before they walked in together.

Clarke and Octavia filled their plates and made their way to an empty table in the back of the cafeteria. Clarke wanted to talk and didn’t want an audience.

“What’s going on?” Octavia said as she put a forkful of spinach into her mouth.

“I—uh… I told her that I loved her…” Clarke took a huge drink of water.

“What? You did what?” Octavia almost spit out her food.  “What happened? What did she say?”

“Well…She didn’t say anything. I kind of yelled at her about the whole not telling people thing… and then I stormed out.”

“Damn Clarke…”

“But… she didn’t text me or anything today. I feel so disappointed. I just… I thought she cared about me.”

“She does care, Clarke. I know she cares immensely about you. Raven and I talk about it all the time. She said that Lexa has never acted like this before…”

“I hope you’re right. Practice should be interesting.”

Clarke felt a small inkling of hope grow in her chest. Octavia smiled at her and the girls continued to chat about classes and how terrified they were that Gustus was going to murder them at practice.

//

Clarke was dreading practice. Not only was she not looking forward to her body being wrecked by Gustus but she was nervous about confronting Lexa.

They made their way to the field and found the team sitting on the ground in a semi circle. Gustus was off to the side, setting up cones for practice.

“What’s going on?” Octavia said as she approached the group.

“Lexa called a meeting before practice…” Raven replied.

Clarke felt her heart sink. Was this really about to happen? She looked over at Lexa who had her head down. She was looking at her shoes. Clarke wanted nothing more than for her to look up so she could smile at her. Lexa looked so small and broken.

Anya gave Lexa a shove to let her know that the entire team was there.

Lexa rose with composure. Her head was held high and her shoulders were back. She looked almost regal.

 “Alright ladies. I know you’re all probably curious why we’re starting practice like this.”

Everyone started to whisper.

“I appreciate every single one of you. As both a captain and as a friend, I have gotten to know you all extremely well. For that reason, I must come clean. I owe it to every single one of you to be honest. And I owe it to one person in particular to be honest as well.”

Clarke couldn’t believe this was happening. She felt the guilt eat her alive. She had been so mad at her before but this was definitely Lexa’s intention all along. She couldn’t say anything to Clarke without showing her how she really felt. She felt Lexa’s eyes lock onto hers. Her green eyes were glistening. She looked as though she was about to cry, but seemed stronger than ever. Octavia, who was sitting next to Clarke, grabbed her thigh.

“I’m… I’m in love with Clarke. I understand that this is in violation of the rules that I put forward for the team. I hope that you all will accept my resignation as captain of the squad. I’m sorry if I let you guys down. The rule that I made was out of weakness. I had no right to keep people away from each other…”

Everyone looked over at Clarke, who had yet break eye contact with Lexa. She smiled at Lexa and the commander’s eyes got soft.

Ontari was the first to speak up.

“Are you fucking joking? Like is this a fucking joke?”

Raven stood up next to Lexa. “Shut the fuck up Ontari.”

“No. I will not stand down. This is bullshit. The commander made this rule and she broke it. She should be thrown off the team!”

The players started to grumble. Lexa turned red and there was steam coming out of Raven’s ears.

“I don’t know if anyone of you remember why Lexa made that rule… But she was fucking hurt. That whole ordeal with Costia created a schism in our team and it cost us a place in the finals and she wanted to avoid that. She’s human just like the rest of us. Not to mention she’s the best scrum half our school has ever seen and the true leader of this squad. It would be stupid to let her go because of her feelings for Clarke.”

Clarke had no idea about the whole finals ordeal. Things started to make more sense.

“Yeah, I agree with Raven…” Clarke heard Niylah say. Other girls stood up and walked over next to Lexa. Indra patted her on the back and Anya hugged her sister.

“We don’t want you going anywhere, Commander,” Emori said.

“So no one is going to back me up on this? Fine. Whatever. It doesn’t matter anyway…” Ontari was still fuming.

“We can talk later, Ontari. Just you and I.” Lexa said. “And anyone else who wants to talk about this. I just…I want to do better. I want to be better for you guys.”

Ontari nodded and took a lap around the field.

Clarke was still sitting down. She was still trying to process what had just happened. The team dispersed and started to converse amongst themselves. Gustus blew his whistle and they took off behind Ontari.

Lexa walked up to Clarke and held out her hand.

“I’m sorry for not coming after you last night. I just… I needed to do that first.”

Clarke took Lexa’s hand and propelled herself into her. She wrapped her arms around Lexa and held her close. She smelled like her usual lavender and vanilla. She smelled like home.

“I love you, Clarke. I do. I’m sorry that it took me so long.”

“Get a room!” Anya yelled from across the field.

Lexa smirked and they sprinted to catch up with the rest of the team.

Practice was tough, as to be expected. Clarke had a huge knot on her left bicep which was the result of a stiff arm from Indra. The players slowly stripped off their sweaty clothes and layered up in their sweats. It was almost November and the weather was starting to get cold.

The team made their way back to the house where cold beers and plenty of couch space awaited them.

Clarke couldn’t help but feel relieved. She had known, deep down, that Lexa did care for her. She definitely wasn’t expecting such a big coming out party but she was honored that Lexa intended to sacrifice so much, just to be with her. On the way to the house, Clarke was alone in the car with Lexa. When Lexa hopped in the car, Clarke grabbed either sides of her face and pulled her in for a kiss. She could feel Lexa’s smile against her lips.

“You have no idea how long I wanted to do that…” Clarke said with a chuckle.

Lexa’s smile faded a little.

“Clarke, will you be my girlfriend…”

Clarke couldn’t help but giggle.

“Clarke…”

“Of course I’ll be your girlfriend. How can I say no after that honorable declaration of love?”

Lexa started her car.

“Don’t make me regret it,” she said with a smile.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S BEEN 84 YEARS!!!  
> No but really... I'm really sorry.... Blame writers block...  
> This chapter is a bit of a filler but I will upload the final chapter within the next 24 hours. The last chapter is long, I promise.
> 
> Thanks for reading! :)


	8. We are the Champions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where a lot happens.

Clarke spent the night in Lexa’s room on Tuesday and Wednesday night. Octavia didn’t mind. That meant that she had the room to herself to be with Lincoln. The two had been almost inseparable since the first mixer.

On Thursday morning, Clarke awoke to the feeling of Lexa playing with her hair.

“Good morning beautiful.”

“Hey,” Clarke said with a smile. She snuggled into Lexa’s neck and wrapped her arms around her.

“You have to go to class, princess. You can grab a ride with Anya and then I’ll meet you guys for lunch.”

“Noooooo… Don’t make me.” Clarke held Lexa tighter.

“Come on, champ. You can borrow some of my clothes and I’ll make you coffee.”

“Well that’s an offer that I simply cannot refuse.”

Lexa slid out of bed and stretched her arms. Clarke marveled at her toned back. She couldn’t help herself. She stood up behind Lexa and wrapped her arms around her stomach and kissed the back of her neck.

“Clarrrrrrrrrrke…” Lexa drew out in a fake American accent. “We gotta go.”

Clarke pouted and pulled on the clothes that Lexa handed her.

“How do you do that?” Lexa asked.

“What?”

“How do you look so perfect in the morning?”

Clarke blushed.

“I woke up like this…” Clarke said as she danced out of the door and into the hallway.

Lexa rolled her eyes and followed her girlfriend down the stairs.

//

Thursday practice was grueling but Gustus did not want to tire them too much before the big game against Mount Weather.  Clarke spent the practice with Anya and Lexa, who focused on teaching her about the fly-half position. Clarke really enjoyed it. For one, she was near Lexa, but being the fly-half was a huge responsibility and Clarke welcomed the challenge. She was essentially the main communicator between Lexa and the back-line and would become play the ball out if Lexa was ever held up in a tackle or ruck. This meant that she had to be vocal and make sure that her girls were where she wanted them to be.

This week, the girls were hosting the mixer at their house. Unlike the girls, the boys needed to win against Mount Weather, otherwise they wouldn’t make it to the playoffs at all. Both sides had stresses that they needed to relieve and that became evident once the party got going. The house was packed with people. The men’s and women’s soccer teams decided to join in on the fun. Bellamy was DJ-ing and everyone was dancing. Clarke and Lexa were wasted before the party even started. Lexa handed in one of her biggest papers so _had_ to pop bottles. She was wearing a burgundy short sleeve button down and black skinny jeans that had ripped knees. Her hair was in a tight bun. Clarke was in a tight black dress. When Lexa saw her, Clarke could have sworn that her jaw was inches from the floor.

They were the life of the party. Clarke was getting everyone to do shots and Lexa was taking the lead on the rugby songs. Clarke had never seen Lexa so amped while off the field. She could tell that Lexa hadn’t been this happy in a while.

“Octavia!! Come on!!! Do another shot of Bacardi with me… Puh-leeeeese!” Clarke slurred.

Octavia, who was leaning against Lincoln made her way over to Clarke. She was also pretty drunk but definitely not on Clarke’s level. Clarke took the shot and it tasted like sweet water. Lexa was nursing what Clarke believed was her fifth 7 and 7.

The music was blaring and at this point, Clarke and Lexa were dancing face to face. Lexa leaned forward and rested her forehead against Clarke, placed her hands on her hips, and pulled her closer. Clarke could smell the whiskey on Lexa’s breath and quickly captured her lips with her own. She couldn’t help but think about how different this was than the first mixer she attended.

Lexa leaned forward again and kissed Clarke passionately. Clarke softly bit down on Lexa’s lower lip.

“C’mon,” Clarke said. “Let’s go upstairs.”

//

Clarke, Lexa, Anya, Raven, and Octavia all went to the diner on Friday morning. They were all super hungover from the night before but still managed to be the loudest ones there.

“No…no… the BEST part of last night was when Anya passed out face first at the top of the stairs!!!” Raven yelled.

The entire table roared with laughter. Anya turned red and stole some of Raven’s hash browns.

“Fuck off, Raven. At least I was able to hook up with soccer girl last night. You got _nothing!_ ”

“Touché my friend.” Raven lifted her coffee mug and clinked it against Anya’s.

“Honestly, the real story here was these two lovebirds skipping out after only 2 hours…” Octavia said with a giggle.

The entire table looked over at Clarke and Lexa. Clarke was grinning but Lexa’s face had turned bright red. Clarke put her hand on her girlfriend’s thigh in an attempt to soothe her. Lexa quickly grabbed her hand and caressed it lovingly.

Clarke cleared her throat. “I could say the same about you and Lincoln…”

“TRUE!” Raven and Anya clapped their hands and the girls continued to share stories from their crazy night. 

Clarke and Lexa spent the rest of the day in bed, watching movies on Netflix. For the first time in a while, she felt relaxed. She felt happy. She felt like nothing could touch them. When she looked into Lexa’s eyes, she could tell that she felt the same way.

Lexa left in the early evening and said that in order to prepare mentally for the game, she needed to sleep alone. Clarke pouted but accepted Lexa’s wishes. She was the commander after all.

Saturday was rugby day and Clarke woke up feeling hungry. She wasn’t hungry for food, nor was she hungry for Lexa. She was hungry for a victory. When her alarm went off, she sat up and made eye contact with Octavia. She had the same look in her eyes. They were ready to take down Mount Weather.

They got to the field early to set up. Lexa was already there and Clarke jumped into her arms. Lexa’s hair had a bunch of thin braids that were tied together in a high pontail. Clarke noticed that she had shaved something that looked like a gear into the side of her head. She looked like a bad ass.

“You ready, princess?”

Raven came out of nowhere and jumped into their hug.

“I’M READY TOO!!!”

“Lexa, could you braid my hair like that?” Clarke asked. She almost felt embarrassed.

“Of course, Clarke. It’d be an honor” Lexa took Clarke’s hair out of her ponytail. She could feel Lexa’s intricate fingers run through her hair. Before she knew it, her hair was adorned with small braids.

“What the hell is this? A beauty shop?” Anya sneered. “Damn Lex, you’re getting soft… Can you do me next?” Anya wiggled her eyebrows.

“Shut up Anya,” Lexa said with a smile.

“There, Clarke. You’re all done.” She pulled a small mirror out of her bag and handed it to Clarke.

“Damn, I look like a bad ass,” Clarke said aloud.

Lexa grabbed her shoulder. “You _are_ a bad ass.”

//

Warm-ups went smoothly and the team was ready to crush bones. As Mount Weather disembarked from their bus, Clarke could feel her blood boil. She saw the girl that committed the high tackle on her during the scrimmage. She wanted revenge. Lexa must have seen Clarke tense up because she placed her hands on the blonde’s shoulders.

“Clarke. Play with your mind. Play smart. Don’t play dirty. Don’t stoop down to her level.” Clarke nodded and continued to warm up her shoulders with Raven.

They were ready.

“ALRIGHT TEAM.” Lexa yelled at the top of her lungs. “WHO IS READY TO FINISH WHAT WE STARTED.” The team began to chant and jump around her. They were all in a circle with their arms wrapped around one another. Clarke was in between Lexa and Octavia. Lexa squeezed Clarke’s shoulder.

“LET’S DO THIS!”

Arkadia lost the coin toss and Mount Weather requested to receive. Niylah lined up her squad behind her and after the sir blew his whistle, she blasted a kick into the right corner of the field.

Clarke started at wing as per usual. Lexa said that she might move her to fly-half if the game was going well. She wearily looked over at the ambulance that parked at the side of the field every game. The fact that it was there always made her nervous. Rugby was a tough game, she knew that, but still the prospect of anyone on her team getting injured to the point where they needed an ambulance put her on edge.

She put her thoughts in the back of her mind and pressed forward as Mount Weather made an attempt to return the ball.

The Mount Weather player was quickly brought down by Indra, who sped down the field. Ontari was close behind and attempted to poach the ball. She was mauled by one of the Mount Weather girls which, earned a loud gasp from the crowd.

The game moved along slowly. There were a lot of knocks and penalties which resulted in stoppage of play. Clarke had made a few good tackles out on the wing but hadn’t received the ball yet.

That quickly changed, however, as Lexa sent the ball down the line after a scrum. Anya passed the ball to Monroe who got it out to Charlotte. She sprinted down the field and expertly got the ball off to Clarke before getting wrecked by a Mount Weather giant. Clarke only had to beat one girl and the try was hers. She juked out the girl and stiff armed her in the chest. Clarke was surprised at how she almost flew backwards at her touch.

Clarke continued forward, crossed the try line, and touched the ball between the posts. The crowd roared and Lexa came from behind Clarke and lifted her up.

“Atta girl, princess!” Lexa shouted. The rest of the team patted Clarke on the back as they made their way to the center of the field. Niylah made the extra point and Arkadia was up 7-0.

Arkadia was able to fight off various surges by Mount Weather and remained on top at the end of the half.

Lexa beamed as she commended her players on an excellent half. Clarke was just so incredibly in love with that girl. Her passion was radiating and her excitement was contagious.

They took the field for the second half with their heads held high. Lexa was in front, seemingly leading her troops in for battle.

The Mount Weather kicker launched the ball into the air. It was kicked high enough that their bruiser, that same one who had committed the foul against Clarke was able to get under it.  

She shook off tackle after tackle. No one could get low enough to bring her down. It got to the point that the only person standing between the bruiser and the try line was Lexa. Lexa got low and stuck her arms out to make the tackle. She got rammed by the girl and flew backwards, but not before tripping her up. The bruiser fell to the ground and Niylah, who was running to catch up, was able to poach the ball and kick it down field.

Clarke ran downfield in order to stop the next Mount Weather attack. The Mount Weather girl was slow to get up, but no one seemed to notice that Lexa was still laying on the ground, writhing in pain. Gustus, on the sidelines, noticed that Lexa was down and yelled at the sir to stop the game. The whistle blew, catching Clarke’s attention. She looked behind her and saw Lexa on the ground, clutching her shoulder.

She sprinted to her girlfriend, who already had Gustus and Anya by her side.

“What…happened… Are you okay?” Clarke was out of breath.

Lexa was breathing heavily. She was still laying face down. She muttered something about a gorilla but Clarke couldn’t understand her.

“Lex, what happened? Can you sit up?” Anya sounded worried.

Lexa slowly shifted onto her back, which caused her to grimace in pain.

“FUCK…” she yelled. “It’s not fucking going back in.”

Clarke felt all of the blood rush out of her face. Her shoulder must be dislocated.

“Lexa, I’m here…” Clarke kneeled next to her and brushed Lexa’s hair out of her face. Lexa smiled at her touch and tilted her head in order to kiss Clarke’s hand.

“Hey princess…” Lexa said weakly.

The EMTs were making their way to the field.

“Yeah…my shoulder is definitely not where it’s supposed to be…” Lexa chuckled softly. “I swear that girl is the size of Godzilla.” She slowly got up, which startled those who were around her.

“Woah woah woah, slow down Lexa…” Gustus said cautiously.

“I’ll be okay. I just need to get this sucker back in…”

Anya rolled her eyes. “Such a hard ass.”

Lexa shoved her sister with her good arm, but it still made her wince. The EMTs got to the field and assisted Lexa to the sidelines.

Clarke followed them but Lexa turned around and looked at her sternly.

“Clarke Griffin, you better get your ass back on that field.”

“I—I… Lexa…”

Clarke knew that she was right. She had to finish what Lexa started.

“Anya will take my place and you’ll play fly-half. Just like we practiced. C’mon Clarke. You can do this. You’re ready for this.”

Clarke nodded nervously but also knew deep down that she was ready. She took the field and lined up next to Anya. It was completely different, being in the middle of the field. She was going to see a lot more action in this position.

She was right. If she wasn’t receiving a ball from Anya, she was making a tackle. She was loud. She could hear Lexa barking orders from the sidelines. She hadn’t seen it, but she assumed that they had put her shoulder back into place.

The game moved on quickly. There was not as much stoppage as there was during the first half. With five minutes left, Raven poached a ball and ran it in for a try. Her team surrounded her and cheered loudly. Clarke was beaming. She, after all, wrecked the same bruiser that injured her girlfriend, which allowed the ball to be poached. Lexa yelled at the top of her lungs when Clarke brought the gorilla sized girl to the ground.

After the final whistle sounded, Lexa’s arm was in a sling and she slowly made her way out onto the field. She rallied her girls and told them how proud she was of each and every one of them. Clarke just wanted to wrap her arms around her.

“Hey Lexa… Can we _please_ go now?” Clarke heard an EMT yell across the field.

“What does he mean?” Clarke said.

“Oh,” Lexa chuckled. “Yeah, my shoulder is still out. Apparently it’s a really bad dislocation and they have to sedate me in order to reset it. I didn’t want to leave until the game was over.”

Lexa had a smug grin on her face. Clarke was not surprised in the slightest.

“Are you fucking joking? That’s serious Lexa.” Clarke went into doctor mode. “C’mon. I’ll grab Anya and we’ll go with you.”

Lexa slowly made her way to the ambulance and Clarke called Anya over, who was also not thrown off at the fact that Lexa stood on the sidelines with a dislocated shoulder.

The EMT drove them to the nearest hospital. Clarke could tell that Lexa’s adrenaline was starting to wear off. She was very quiet and was gritting her teeth.

Luckily they were seen quickly and an x-ray and CT scan confirmed that Lexa had dislocated her shoulder posteriorly, meaning that it went backwards.

“Yeah, most shoulders dislocate forward,” said the doctor. “Only about 2 to 4 percent of shoulder dislocations are posterior. Not many people have experience resetting a posterior dislocation. That’s why they had to bring you here.”

“Of course…” said Lexa. 

The nurse came in and began to pump Lexa with drugs in order to sedate her. Lexa laid back and closed her eyes.

Clarke sat in the room and her knee bounced up and down with worry. By the way that the doctor spoke, Clarke did not think Lexa would be able to play in the playoffs. She knew that this was crushing the girl that she loved and she hated to see her in so much pain.

The doctors returned, and after a swift motion and a loud cry from Lexa, they put her shoulder back into place. Clarke was holding her hand the entire time. The doctor quickly pulled out a sling that made Lexa’s arm protrude outward. According to him, in order for it to heal, this was the necessary position.

“Glad that’s over…” Lexa muttered under her breath.

“Let’s get you home, kid.” Anya put her arm around her sister and led her out the door.

Clarke followed behind closely and helped Lexa into the front seat of Raven’s car. She buckled Lexa in and left a sweet kiss on her lips.

“Thank you, Clarke.” Lexa’s eyes were still a little wonky from the drugs but Clarke knew that she was feeling a lot of different emotions.

“Of course, babe. I’m just happy that you’re okay.”

“I’m happy that you wrecked that girl.”

Clarke kissed her girlfriend on cheek.

“Enough!!!!” Anya yelled. “Can we please go home? I need like twelve beers.”

Clarke hopped into the back seat and they sped back towards Arkadia.

Anya and Raven jumped out of the car as soon as they pulled up to the rugby house. The boys had beaten Mount Weather and were also on their way to the playoffs. Clarke stayed behind to help Lexa out of the car.

“How’s your arm?”

“Hurts,” Lexa responded softly.

“C’mon. Let’s get you inside.” Clarke smiled, as she unbuckled her girlfriend’s seatbelt.

“You showed true strength today, Clarke.”

Of course, Lexa would want to have an in depth discussion about the game while completely wacked out on drugs.

Clarke chuckled and helped Lexa inside the house.

“AYYYYY!” The entire house roared when Lexa was brought inside. She smiled weakly. Bellamy and Lincoln jogged over and handed them beers, which Clarke declined for the both of them.

“You guys have no idea how many meds she’s on right now. Beer is _not_ the best idea.”

Lexa was so spaced out that she was completely oblivious to the interaction.

Clarke led her upstairs and put her into her bed.

“Can I get you anything?”

“No, all I want is you.”

 

//

 

The quarter final and semi-final games were a breeze. They were both teams that they had played before. Unfortunately, Lexa was out for at least 3 months. She did not tear anything but she had to make sure that her shoulder healed properly, otherwise she would be susceptible to reinjuring it. She took this as an opportunity to gain coaching experience. She had a positive attitude, but Clarke knew that she hated every second of it.

The conference final was against Azgeda University. Their team was referred to as the _Ice Nation_ because they were cold, brutal, and ruthless.

Clarke had been playing fly-half since Lexa’s injury. She and Anya also had great chemistry on the field. They called excellent plays and made passes that contributed to excellent tries.

The conference final was played the weekend before Thanksgiving. Clarke had already made plans to have Lexa and Anya join her family. According to her mother, Kane was coming as well. She was excited to have a nice Thanksgiving again. The years before were very somber however this year was going to be different.

The Ice Nation was huge, even bigger than Mount Weather. Lexa braided Clarke’s hair. She was ready to fight.

After a hard fought battle, Arkadia came out on top, 32-29. Clarke was unstoppable. She scored two tries and made stellar tackles. Her body was absolutely trashed but she did not even notice. Her mom and Kane were in the audience, cheering at the top of their lungs. The team rallied behind her. They believed in each other and that translated to their field play. They had practiced so hard. So much blood, sweat, and tears went into this moment. At the end of the game, Clarke made eye contact with Lexa, who was standing on the sidelines.

Her green eyes twinkled. The eyes that once caused Clarke so much distress were now her source of happiness. She sprinted to the sidelines and embraced Lexa. Her shoulder was still in the sling, so Clarke still had to be cautious. She kissed her passionately which caused the crowd to cheer even harder.

As they stood on the podium, waiting to receive their trophy, Clarke grabbed Lexa’s hand. She had done it, no, they had done it together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for everyone who left comments! 
> 
> Sorry that it took so long for me to finish. 
> 
> Lexa's injury was mostly inspired by the show but I also drew from real life experiences... All I can say is thank god for physical therapy...


End file.
